Lullaby
by cinematic daydreams
Summary: Jack knew that everything happened for a reason. But what would come out of Jack's true love's death, leaving him alone to be a single father, struggling to juggle between a college education and raising a child? Little did he expect what seemed like a guardian angel walking into his life, changing everything. / Kick. / Three-shot. R&R.
1. Part One: Random Acts Of Kindness

**Author's Note:**

_I know I'm long overdue on some stories and whatever, but right now, I can't stop thinking about this one and I couldn't help but just start writing this. The idea wouldn't stop bugging me, so I decided that I would just go ahead and do it, you know. What the heck? This story's not going to be that long anyways, just a little three-shot, that I could just not get over. _

_Have any of you heard Lullaby by Nickelback? I suggest that if you haven't, you go listen to it right now. You don't really need to know the song to understand the story or anything, I just named it after my inspiration, which was actually the music video. It's such a beautiful song which always has me just crying for no reason :') I'm not going to completely use the music video as my storyline, though. I've twisted it a little bit. I know this kind of plot is a little overused, but I've turned everything into my own. _

_Once again, I'm going to tap into emotion. I'm going to update this three-shot over all my other stories though because I just want to get it done and over with. Ugh, I hate leaving people waiting and letting them down, but if I don't write for this one, it'll bug me even more, so please just bare with me. Also, just warning you now that the chapter's a little long, so only read this is when not too busy, I guess. _

_Well, guys, enjoy! (:_

_**DISCLAIMER: **__Lol, me, own a TV show? Nah._

* * *

_Random Acts of Kindness_

* * *

"Let me help you."

Those were four words Jack hadn't heard in a long time, but four words he'd pray everyday just to hear. He flipped his short hanging locks out of his face, looking up at the owner of the voice that somehow granted many wishes all at once. He didn't expect what he saw. A gorgeous girl who was maybe around his age leaning over him, her golden cascading locks somehow matching her piercing hazel doe-like eyes, blinking down at him in concern. It was as if a guardian angel had come down to check on him.

Because Jack had too much pride, he nearly returned his wish completely, saying that he could handle this entire thing his own. He wasn't that stupid though. He needed help and he knew it, even though he hated admitting it. It was something he'd have to get used to though, if this whole single father thing was going to work out properly.

Jack smiled a little bit, letting the corners of his mouth only just turn up. He straightened up, the blonde standing up straight as well. Jack looked back at the infant in his arms, gulping. His heart seemed to break whenever he just said eyes on her, and how she was a spitting image on her mother. They both had the same rare sea green eyes, big and hopeful, constantly smiling at you. Like Jack, however, she had the brown hair, and a beauty mark appeared on her left cheek.

He slowly and carefully handed the forever twitching five month old child into the girl's hands, which took her into her grasp even more delicately. The angel that saved him from putting his own baby into the grocery basket beamed at him. "You looked like you needed the help."

"Thank you," Jack said, his pride suddenly fading away. All he felt now was gratefulness. He bent back down onto the floor, picking up the cans that he'd just knocked over full on and placing them in their right places on the shelves. The blonde girl watched Jack's child in awe, bringing a smile to the brunet's lips every time he heard her coo at the baby.

He turned back to the girl and shrugged, stuffing his hand into his pockets. The pretty girl opposite him was too caught up with his child to even notice. But obviously, she did, because the next thing she said was, "What's her name?"

Jack's heart started thumping loud and he gulped again, trying to hide his slight sadness behind his smile. "Iris." It always hurt when people asked for her name; little did they know the actual meaning behind it. "Little Iris," Jack added, only making the girl who was helping him smile even more.

"She's gorgeous," The girl said, looking up at Jack now. _Just like her mother_, the brunet nearly said out loud. She held out the hand she wasn't using to hold the baby. "I'm Kim, by the way." So the angel had a name.

Jack offered out his own hand, and shook Kim's a little firmly. "I'm Jack," he said, smiling as well now, but a little more genuinely. "Really nice to meet you."

"Oh it's a pleasure to meet you as well," she said, showing off her perfect teeth. She looked back at the baby now. "You are such a cutie!" She cooed. "You're too cute for your own good! Gonna be breaking a lot of hearts when you're older, aren't you?" Iris made a cooing noise, Kim happy she had received a response. Jack chuckled at the sight of both of them, the blonde looking up when he did, looking a little surprised that he did. "Is she your sister?"

Jack was very used to this question by now. He was also very used to shaking his head at this question, but he also realized that Kim's smile never dropped. "No, she's mine." After a few moments of silence, he was very surprised that Kim hadn't given the baby back to him and ran away. He cocked his head to the side a little bit, and couldn't help but smile to himself at her. "This is normally the part where people would go into shock and run away."

Kim winked. "Well, I don't know if you haven't noticed it yet, but I'm not like other people." She looked back at Iris, and surprisingly gave her a kiss on the head. "I can see the resemblance between you two," Kim said, not looking at Jack while saying so, though. Jack just stood there at his little daughter stealing the show, trying to impress Kim by cooing a little bit too loud and shoving her clenched fist into her mouth. "You have more grocery shopping to do? You look like you're having a hard time, with the basket and a baby."

"You have no idea," Jack said, and Kim laughed. She had a nice laugh. Jack's eyes connected with hers once again as he continued to talk. "It's pretty weird they don't have trolleys here. I would actually really love that." The brunet however knew exactly why it didn't have trolleys though. It was 7-Eleven, just a small corner shop. He liked walking from home to come here, just him and Iris. Even though it was such a mission, it was even more of a mission driving halfway across Seaford just to go to a grocery shop that offered trolleys.

"Amen to that," Kim nodded. "I could carry her around if you want me to. I'd be glad to help out some how. I'd also just really like to hold her some more." When she said that, her cheeks flushed a little bit. Jack saw that she'd fallen in love with the baby within two seconds flat. He was thankful that she did though, because he could really use the help right now, and wanted to get the grocery shopping out of the way. He wanted to get home and nap before the hectic night came. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Not in the slightest," Jack said, picking up his basket, and then he, Kim and Iris started heading down the aisle, his mind set on getting all of the things he needed and then quickly getting back. Even though he loved his daughter to bits, it was a little comforting not having to handle her for a few minutes.

* * *

The grocery shopping was done, and Jack was now heading down the road with the four shopping bags he had, two in each hand for the first time in a long time. He normally came back later for other things, but it was such a relief to get everything done now instead of resuming to the task. He and Kim had hardly said words to each other, but now because Iris was used to her, and had impressed the blonde enough already, there was silence on the walk home.

"How are you going to get back home?" Jack asked Kim, who's eyes were narrowed because the hot Seaford sun was shining into her eyes, lighting up her way a little bit too much. She still looked attractive even then.

Kim shrugged. "I'll just walk back and drive back to campus." So she was a college student, just as he was? "Your place isn't too far from here, is it?"

Jack pointed at the tall apartment building not too far in the distance. He could hear the waves crashing against the shore from where he currently was. One of the main reason he chose that building was because of the uninterrupted view. "That building there. Not too far for you, is it?" Kim shook her head, and Jack's hand came back to his side.

There was silence again.

"How old are you, Jack?" Kim said, straight out and flatly. She didn't even try to sugar coat it. The brunet didn't know whether to be grateful or offended that she did this. He hated pity more than anything however, so he was a little bit happy. He'd never admit this out loud because it would sound a little strange. "Seem a little young for a kiddo, no?"

"I'm at varsity," Jack said. "I'm a freshman, just getting started. I took a gap year, though, because, as you can see, things got a little hectic." Kim laughed a little, and Jack did as well. "Sometimes, there are times where I just hate it, hate that I made a mistake that could cost me everything, but then I thank God for giving me her, you know?" Of course she wouldn't know. Nobody understood him like Iris' mother had. He wasn't sure if anybody ever would. "It's just really frustrating."

Kim looked at Jack's profile, seeing his jaw was clenched, as if he were fighting to tell his whole life story to a stranger. She nodded slowly, looking down at Iris. "Where's the mother when you really need her?" She asked in the same tone as her previous question.

Jack's heart dropped, almost stopping completely. It always did when her name came into mention, or when he saw a picture of her. It killed him all over again, and repetitively. He was supposed to be over it by now, and he knew, but for him, moving on was the hardest part of all of it. He'd let go, but now because she'd just left him in the middle of some deserted path, it's not like he can just turn around, walk back, and go a completely different direction. He knew God did things for a reason, but it were times like these he just wanted to know why.

"She passed away giving birth to Iris," Jack said slowly, and Kim stopped, making him stop too. Now her face was shocked, and had been drained of all the color that was there before. "Don't say you're sorry because I know you're not." Jack choked out, fighting the tears from coming up to his eyes. He shook the feeling off and started walking again. "I don't even know why I'm saying these things to someone I just met."

"Don't try to reject sympathy," Kim said, making Jack stop and turn back to the blonde, who was still a few steps behind. Iris made a noise, and patted Kim's cheek with her open palm. "Because one day, you're going to need it, and she is too. Believe it or not, but sometimes it helps." They both stood there, looking at each other with hard expressions, and Jack's jaw clenched even tighter. "You can't always be so strong, even when you want to be." Kim's voice was soft and delicate like a feather, and it sent unusual chills down Jack's spine.

The rest of the way, they walked in silence. At times, Iris would start screaming for no reason, and Kim and Jack were stuck standing for a time not long. When they finally reached the apartment building, they got through the glass doors in piece. Jack, on queue, checked if he got any mail quickly, and took out a TV guide that had been sent to him, and shoved it in the back of jeans, picking up the plastic bags again, and then continuing to the elevator.

When Jack pressed the button, he heard Kim cooing at Iris again, but this time, she was reciting a nursery rhyme to her. Iris laughed at her in a high-pitched childish way, which brought warmth to Jack's heart. The elevator finally reached them, and when the two steel doors automatically opened, they took a step inside, a middle-aged woman walking out, looking as if she were on her way to work at this time in the afternoon.

The doors closed behind the trio, and as soon as the elevator started moving, Iris started screaming. Kim desperately started rocking Iris back and fourth, her screaming almost screeching. Jack was relaxed though, and watched the elevator doors, waiting for them to open. Kim's eyes widened at Jack's current state. "Dude!" Jack's attention turned to the stranger and the baby. "She doesn't like elevators, does she?"

Jack chuckled, glad that the funny atmosphere between them had faded. "No. She just doesn't like mirrors." Jack looked back, and so did Kim. There was the mirror, Iris' face staring right into it, screaming her head off.

"How long did it take for you to figure it out?"

Jack laughed. "A month tops. I thought it was the lighting. Then I thought it was the elevator. But at home, she cries in front of mirrors too. It's not good, is it?" Kim shook her head, even though she was laughing. Iris continued to scream as Jack and Kim just smiled at each other, the barrier between the broken.

The elevator _bing_ed and the doors opened. Iris' crying stopped abruptly, and Jack and Kim burst out laughing, running out quickly before the baby started screaming again. When they'd calm down, they walked across the balcony-like passage, minding not to get to close to the wall because they were on the fourteenth floor. Right at the end only, by the stairway, they stopped. Jack took the keys out of his pocket and put down his plastic bags and opened the door.

"Ladies first," Jack said, gesturing to let Kim in. Kim held Iris close to her as she continued to coo, as if she were making a one-way conversation with herself. Kim gawked at the little apartment, and how beautiful it was. Jack must have been pretty loaded, she almost said aloud.

The area was comfortable and also very stunning. The kitchen was the first thing you saw when walking through the door. There was a dining room table next to the modern mahogany kitchen, the wood a lighter color, and the vase placed on top of the surface filled with healthy irises. Kim nearly laughed.

Right next to the kitchen was the lounge, where two red loveseats were put right in front of the flat screen Samsung TV. There were toys on the table in the middle of the whole set up, and an empty baby bottle. On the floor, there was a crescent pillow, the kind especially made for babies.

What really captured Kim's attention was the huge window, that seemed to take up the whole left wall of the room, the only thing you could see outside the window being the sea. It was just so beautiful; it took Kim's breath away. "Whoa," she murmured, Iris copying her.

"I know," Jack said as he hauled all of the grocery bags onto the kitchen island, gazing at Kim while she put Iris down on the couch. "It's really nice waking up to walk into such a place every morning." Jack started walking towards Kim and Iris, and sat next to his daughter, holding her hand and starting to stroke her soft skin. Kim watched him carefully as he brought Iris' hand up to his lips, placing a soft kiss onto her hand. "It's difficult."

"This?" Kim nearly bit herself because of her own stupidity.

"Everything," Jack says softy, Kim only just hears him. "And what makes it all even worse is that I'm doing it alone. I'm worried for her, you know. Of what might become. What if I'm not good enough of a father?" He chuckles. "And it isn't like I can teach her all the things a mother could, you know?"

Kim took Jack's hand into her own. When he looked up into her eyes, he saw the light hit her face in that way again, just as it had when he first laid eyes on her. She looked like an angel that had come down to save him. "You don't have to be alone, Jack. I want to help."

* * *

Kim did help, and she helped out a lot. She turned Jack's life around, just by one random act of kindness. Jack can't even imagine what life without Kim would be like. He doesn't remember how he used to cope before. As Iris began to grow, it was as if she became even more difficult, and having Kim around made it bearable. He didn't know what fate had decided for him, but he was glad they decided this.

Everyone was affected, though, and not just Kim. Schedules were made and back-up plans were prepared in case anything happened. The plan was that because Kim and Jack had totally different class times, whenever Jack went to class, Kim would come over, looking after Iris, and they Jack would come back, and Kim could resume to her normal life for a little bit. But there were times that Kim and Jack had to be at school the same time, so when that happened, one of their other friends came and looked after the baby. They'd also made a plan for the night, so if Jack was really tired, Kim came over and helped him out with the baby at night. They also planned when they were both available to attend Iris' doctor's appointments. They were making a team effort to make this work.

It was as if Kim had become their nanny.

Or even a part of the family.

Through the three months Kim and Jack spent with each other, they got to know each other as well, really becoming close. There was nights were the two would just sit awake, waiting for Iris to start screaming, and while they waited, they just talked in the dark living room, or they just watched a movie, making witty comments about it.

One night though, Kim had decided to come by her own, just to see how everyone was doing. She had a conscience like that – if anything bad happened, she'd just blame herself, or find a way to because she feels as if she needs to care. And she really did care about Jack and Iris, more than she could even comprehend.

When Kim entered the elevator, she looked at her phone watch, seeing it was close to midnight. It had become a kind of tradition that whenever Kim showed up at night, she be in her PJ's, because she normally fell asleep at Jack's place and then when she woke up, she'd just head off back to campus. When the doors opened, her eyes bulged and her feet started sprinting to Jack's door. Even from where she was, she hears Iris' loud screaming, and was surprised nobody was saying anything about it – at least, not yet.

Kim took out her keys and started playing the lock a little on Jack's door, and soon it was open. As soon as it was, Kim nearly put her hands to her ears, the crying was so loud. The apartment was so dark, however. She tried looking for Iris or for Jack but then heard the source of the noise coming from behind a closed door, which was Jack's room.

Kim just stood there, leaning against the wall next to his room, listening to Iris scream and Jack pleading her to go to sleep. When Kim was around and Jack was gone, she didn't even enter his room then. She thought it would be out of bounds, no entry for her. But right now, Jack needed her, and she had no choice but to walk into the room, almost making Jack jump into the air.

"Kim!" Jack said, rocking Iris in his arms. He couldn't see her in the dark properly though. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you out. You seem like you could use it," Kim said, looking at Iris, who's mouth was open wide, continuous sound just coming out of it. She could faintly make out Jack's features in the dark, and she saw they were set into a scowl.

"I can manage her on my own!" Jack just suddenly snapped, taking Kim by surprise. He turned around, putting his back to her. "I didn't ask for your help! Just go away!"

"Jack, you've got to let this pride of yours, go, okay?" Kim said, crossing her arms, looking as Iris just continued to cry. "It's not going to help anybody!"

"It's not my pride, goddamit! I made a promise and I'm going to keep it!" Jack turned around now, facing him. More light hit him than before, and his features were a little bit more visible now in the moonlight. Kim could see his eyes were bloodshot, and that his cheeks seemed to be wet. Wait? Was he crying? "Don't try and pretend you understand because nobody understands what we're going through, okay? You haven't been around long enough to!"

"Well, don't say it as if I haven't been around at all," Kim snapped back, her gestures becoming big and angry. "I've been around long enough to know what you're like Jack! You don't think that you actually need help, do you? Well, you have to get over yourself for just one second, okay, because this doesn't only concern you! Iris is a part of this! Stop rejecting sympathy when you need it because it's going to get you into trouble!"

The argument between them had come to a stand still. Jack bit his lip, and let out a shaky sigh. "Kim, I'm scared."

Kim's heart broke to pieces when she noticed that Jack was crying again, and took Iris out of his arms, even though he first offered her out to Kim. When Kim held the baby, she started rocking her, seeing that she smelt clean, and judging by the very full bottle on Jack's bedside table, she was full as well. Maybe she was just moody, and refused to go to sleep. "Jack, go sit down for a second. I'll handle this." Jack obeyed Kim's order and slowly walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind them.

Kim shushed Iris soothingly, just rocking her back and fourth. She was still crying, but not as loudly as before. Kim held her close to her chest, and started counting backwards from one hundred. She didn't know why she did, or how the thought had even crossed her, but when Kim was around forty, Iris' crying had nearly stopped. She would just shriek every now and then, as if trying to cry but realizing that there was no reason to anymore.

When Iris was silent, she gazed up at Kim with big green eyes, as if making a request for something else. Kim didn't see it as a request for anything else but a lullaby. She sighed, and cringed to herself. She hated singing in front of people, even if it was a little baby. But Kim began singing it anyways.

"_**So just give it one more try to a lullaby, and turn this up on the radio. **_

_**If you can hear me now, I'm reaching out, to let you know that you're not alone.**_

_**And you can't tell, I'm as scared as hell, 'cause I can't get you on the telephone." **_

Iris' eyes were starting to close, seeing that in a way, she was fighting to stay awake (probably to irritate Kim) but was giving in to the thought of sleep.

"_**So just close your eyes. Well honey, here comes a lullaby. Your very own lullaby." **_

When Kim had finished off the chorus, Iris' eyes were closed, and her chest was slowly rising and falling, and her limbs were beginning to relax. Kim was now at ease that the baby was asleep, and just stared down at her, admiring how pretty she was and how gorgeous she'd be when she was older. She hoped that she'd still be around to see that happen.

"I'm guessing she's asleep," Jack said and Kim whipped her head around, only to see him leaning on the wall closest to the door. So he'd been here the entire time. She was happy he was far away from her so he couldn't see her blush.

Kim's voice said softly, "Yeah, she is." She turned her head, looking at Jack, in his white vest and his sweatpants. Kim tore her eyes away from looking at his torso. She wasn't attracted to him. She couldn't be. She was allergic to guys and her hormones. "Were you standing there the entire time? A little stalker-ish, don't you think?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't call it stalking. I was just observing what you did to help her fall asleep." Kim looked back down at Iris when she felt her body shake weirdly in her arms. "Don't worry about it," Jack said, making Kim get a fright, considering just seconds ago, he was against the wall, and now he was right next to her, saying this into her ear. "It's just something babies do when they do into deep sleep." Kim nodded and got up quietly, leaving Jack on his own, and wondering into the dark hallway, barely being able to see when Iris' room was. She made a right, and opened the door, being careful not to be too loud.

She walked slowly in, her footsteps not making any noise at all, and when she reached Iris' crib, she looked at the beautiful angel again, kissing her on the forehead before lowering her down and placing her softly onto the soft little mattress. She pulled the baby blanket over her, and Iris shifted, as if she were about to fall, but then settled into her new spot. Kim was grateful she hadn't woken her up.

She quickly ran out the room, leaving the door open behind her, and made a route back to Jack's room, seeing Jack sitting in the same spot as she left him. She looked at him a little weirdly, seeing that he wasn't looking at her but at the ground. She closed the door behind her and slowly made her way back to Jack's bed, sitting beside him, and he looked up at her. They were having a staring competition.

There was a moment of silence before Kim sighed.

"You're so good with her," Jack said in a husky voice, which made Kim's breathing stop for just a second. She didn't know why she was suddenly feeling this around him. She kicked the inappropriate thoughts in her head that had made their way in and she looked at Jack's eyes, which were sparkling. "I don't think it was the lullaby that made her sleep though. I think she just needs a mom around, a female figure." There was another pause of them just looking at each other, until Jack said something else. "Donna and I were going to get through this together without anyone else. I promised."

"Was that her name?" Kim asked in a small voice.

Jack nodded. "Nobody understood her like I did. Nobody knew what she went through. Everyone thought she was this perfect Barbie doll – but I learnt to know her better than that. We were just young, and in love and … we both weren't ready, but we went through with it anyways. We were both each other's first time, and she wanted to reserve the specialness." Jack stopped for a second when Kim looked down at her lap, playing with her fingers. He didn't know why he was telling Kim all of this, but ever since Iris was born, it had been trapped inside of him and he felt the need to tell someone.

He continued. "I'm not going to blame it on her because we were both a part of the mistake, and everything started turning upside down. Our families turn against each other, and we were practically forced to take a gap year for college. Donna didn't want a baby, but we had to finish was we started. I didn't – I couldn't ..." Jack trailed off.

"You don't have to tell me all of this," Kim said. "I know you've been through a lot, okay? I think that's all I need to know."

"Kim, is it ridiculous that I want you to try and understand?" Jack's voice cracked, and Kim was biting on her lip. Jack smiled, even though he wasn't able to hold it in anymore, and a salty tear slid down his cheek, and Kim just stared at him, not knowing how to react at the heart numbing sight. "You just came into my life randomly one day and then everything changed. You didn't gape at me, you didn't judge me, you just accepting everything of me and you _stayed_. Nobody ever stays. But you did. And I want to make sure that you don't leave me because even when they don't mean to, everybody does."

It was time for Jack to just crumble and become weak. And while he did, Kim needed to be strong. She had to keep herself together, but for him. Kim looked at his tear filled eyes and inhaled shakily. Her hand made its way up to her cheek and she used her thumb to wipe away the tears. She pressed her forehead against his as an act for comfort, even though it made her heart speed up in a way that wasn't very comforting. "I'm not going anywhere, Jack. I – I promise."

Jack's gaze travelled to her lips, and Kim fought with herself to not do the same. They couldn't do this. Kim couldn't do this. It seemed so wrong, but at the same time so right. "Promises mean a lot to me, Kim," Jack whispered. "Please don't let me down." Kim nodded her head yes, because she thought that if she dared to open her mouth, she'd suffocate on air. Jack's face was coming closer to hers. She couldn't take the silence between them, because she knew what would happen in the silence. She couldn't help herself though. She wrapped her hands around Jack's neck and their lips collided with one another.

It was a soft and gentle kiss, their lips moving together slowly. Jack's lips fit flawlessly with Kim's, as if this were meant to be. Neither of the seemed to pull away, or even rejects each other's touch. Their lips continued to dance with each other, Jack's tongue demanding entrance and Kim letting him in as they started to explore each other.

They pulled away from each other, gasping for air silently, looking at each other for just a few moments. No words needed to be exchanged. There was just something about Kim that seemed to let Jack trust her completely. They'd seemed to only know each other for such a little while, but it felt like forever. Their eyes burnt into each other's, only showing one thing: lust. Jack's lips attacked Kim's, them meeting once again, Kim's back lowering down onto the mattress of the brunet's bed, the space between the two closing.

Even though they had never noticed the attraction for each other until tonight, the kiss grew hungry and needy very quickly, as if they had been waiting for the kiss forever. Their lips were no longer moving in sync, but fighting for dominance. Kim's fingers were tangled in his hair, while Jack's fingers were crawling up Kim's top. Jack's lips left Kim's, trailing kisses down her jawline, sending shivering sensations down Kim's spine, causing her back to arch.

She let out a moan that had been kept in for way too long as soon at Jack's tongue came into contact with her neck, and when she did, her hand covered her mouth, her eyes bulging out of her head as she came to the sudden realization what they were doing. "Jack," she said in a desperate tone, and as soon as he looked up at her, his expression seemed to also change as well.

Kim sat up in Jack's bed, and hugged her chest, feeling a little ashamed of herself for letting Jack do what he did. He couldn't help himself after all. He was just looking for comfort. She let out a shaky breath, and didn't even pause for a second. She jumped off Jack's bed, and started marching out the door. Jack couldn't pause either, because he couldn't let her leave this _this_. He also jumped up from his lying position, and was following Kim.

"Kim, just wait a second," Jack said, stopping as he saw Kim fiddling to open the door, but wasn't succeeding because her hands were shaking uncontrollably. "I'm not going to let you walk out of here without talking this through." A stressed hand ran through Jack's hair. How could he let himself lose control in times like these? He cursed a bad word at himself under his breath.

Kim froze, and turned back to Jack, her heart pumping fast. She was almost panting. "It was nothing, right?" Kim said, and Jack's eyes broke contact, as his gaze travelled to the ground. "We were just living in the moment or something. And I was trying to comfort you because you were hurting and …" Kim didn't continue, because if she probably went on, she'd probably mention that she didn't mind it at all. "Let's just leave it."

Jack nodded, but he seemed a bit unsure, of course guiltier than anything. Kim turned around, and opened the door, but didn't take a step outside. She stood still, as if something was stopping her. Something was though; what Jack said next. "I don't regret what I did though, Kim. And I don't think you do either. Even though we weren't expecting it, Kim, didn't you feel the kind of connection I felt?"

"Jack," Kim said, not daring to look back and meet his eyes again. She was too vulnerable. "Good night." And then, without looking back, she was gone.

* * *

The next morning, which was a Sunday, Jack was in the middle of feeding Iris mashed potato and watching a football game at the same time. He couldn't focus on the football game, however. It wasn't because of Iris – he's done this many times and had learnt over time that if you want to get things done, you should multitask – but because of what happened the night before with Kim. It was bothering him greatly. He didn't want things to be awkward between them.

The intercom in the apartment rang, and he shot up, wondering if it were Kim or not. He shook his head. Kim didn't need to ring because she had her own remote. When he looked through the screen to see who it was, he saw it was his friends – Milton, Eddie and Jerry, who had a mysterious girl with him. He pressed the button to let him in, and quickly took a look at his living room. It looked like a playground.

He sprung into action and started cleaning up a little bit, just dumping everything into Iris' crib, coming back and picking up some more things. He dumped all of the dirty baby dishes into the sink, reminding himself that he still had dishes to wash. Iris was shouting at the people in the TV in her language, making Jack laugh a little bit. When his team scored, he cheered, and Iris clapped her hands, delighted.

There was a knock on the door, and Jack made his way over to it, unlocking for his friends to enter. When the door opened he was greeted with hugs and noogies, making him have to adjust the beanie he was wearing on his head. "Jack, my man!" Jerry said, and pulled Jack in for a man hug. "How goes it?"

"I'm okay," Jack said, shrugging. He'd forgotten that he'd invited his friends over for a little gathering, persuading them to bring food and well. Then he gulped. He'd also invited Kim and one of her friends. He wondered if she was still coming. "Just feeding the princess."

Jerry raised his eyebrow. The girl next to him nudged him. "I wish you were sweet like that," she said. "I can't wait to see the little rascal." The girl looked at Jack and offered out her little and dainty hand. She was a really pretty girl with long brown locks that went all the way down to her belly, wearing a bow headband in her hair, and was dressed in a cute little floral dress. She reminded Jack of fairies. "I'm Grace."

"Jerry's girl?" Jack winked at the Latino, shaking Grace's hand.

Grace laughed. "I see you've been bragging about me."

Jerry put his arm around Grace. "Who wouldn't?"

"Don't start making out please," Eddie asked. "I don't think the child would like to be scarred of such … scenes." Jack chuckled.

"Amen to that," Milton said, agreeing with Eddie. The group made their way inside and sat themselves on the seats in the living room. Grace put her bag full of goodies on the counter, and started taking them out onto the kitchen island. She kept on looking back at the baby that seemed to be entertaining the boys, cooing at them, while they were complimenting her on her fatty thighs and her little converse.

"She's gorgeous," Grace said to Jack, who was also in the kitchen, getting out dishes to serve the goodies with. "She looks just like you."

"I get that a lot," Jack chuckled, glancing at his daughter on the couch.

"Iris her name is, right?"

"Yeah."

"Like, the song Sleeping With Sirens covered?" Jack stopped for a minute, looking at Grace a little funny. He swore he knew her from somewhere or something. He couldn't put his finger on it. Grace laughed at the way he was strangely looking at her. "By the Goo Goo Dolls is it not?" Jack nodded and sighed. "I used to work with Donna at Forever 21," Grace explained just to break the tension.

Jack remembered at some point, before everything became complicated, she worked there for the summer, and seemed to love it even more every day. It was like shopping with people you didn't know all day, every day she once said. "She told you?" Jack asked her.

"We crossed the subject one morning, and we asked each other what we'd name our kids," Grace laughed, looking away from Jack, as if she were remembering it. "She mentioned you a lot. When Jerry said that he was friends with you, I never even though that you were Donna's Jack. And then I heard what happened." Grace pause, and Jack had expected to start tearing up, or struggle to inhale air as he had before, but over the last few months with Kim helping him out, he'd learnt to contain himself. "I'm sorry."

_Don't try to reject sympathy. _

Grace opened her arms for a hug, and Jack entered them, and they hugged for a few seconds. "Thank you," Jack said, as if he was talking to air. Compared to him, the girl was really short. A short little fairy with good hair. When they parted, Grace ran back to the couch, and started to hang out with Iris.

"Can I keep her?" Grace would always say. Jerry would just roll his eyes.

Milton got up from the couch to the counter, where Jack was sitting on the tall bar chair, looking outside his apartment window, watching as the waves of the sea hit the shore in a calming manner. Milton narrowed his eyes at the brunet. "You look like you're really in the zone." Milton sat in the chair next to him. "Want to talk about it?"

"Milton, I did something really bad last night," Jack said, not looking at the ginger while saying so. Milton nodded as if he knew exactly what he was talking about. "I don't even know if it's wrong. Kim said it was, but I didn't see anything wrong with it, you know?"

"Well, maybe this whole dilemma would make more sense if I knew what you did and what she said was wrong," Milton shrugged. "Just a suggestion, you know?" Jack turned to look at him, and Milton's teasing smile dropped, seeing Jack's face so serious. "Dude, was it that bad?"

"I … kissed her," Jack stuttered slightly, but said it a little softly. Milton smiled again. "And things got a little heated and –" Milton cut Jack off.

"It's about time," Milton put his fist into the air. "Finally!" Milton has often baby sat if Kim and Jack both couldn't, and he'd sensed the chemistry between them instantly. They seemed really close, like best friends. He'd been rooting for them to get together ever since.

"No, not really," Jack stopped him as well. "She stopped me from doing something I'd maybe regret." Milton raised both eyebrows. "It seemed to be heading down that road, so she saved me from my own stupidity. But then she was saying that it was nothing, and we were just both feeling really lost and – but I'm confused, because to her, it seemed like that. But to me, it seemed so much different." Jack turned back around to the sea, looking at it as if he were in deep thought once again. "I don't know what I'd say when I see her next."

"Well, then you better think fast," Milton said after a slight pause. Jack's heart rate picked up. She came after all? He turned is head and saw her and the two friends she had brought at the door. He gulped. She was looking really good today, even though she normally dressed like that. He couldn't help but see all the revealing areas of what she was wearing, and looked at the ground, forcing to tear his eyes away.

Kim started hugging all of the guys (which she's seen from time to time over the past few months) and introducing her friends to them. Jack the whole time was getting up, debating whether he should go over and say hi, or if he should just stay down. He was already up, so there was no turning back now. Milton saw this through his peculiar facial expressions. "Chill, Jack. I'm going with you. And then I'm going to leave you alone while I flirt with one of Kim's friends." Jack rolled his eyes. Milton pulled up his pants, as if it were to make him look all macho.

The two made their way slowly to the trio of girls that had just entered. When Kim and Jack's eyes connected, Jack thought that he'd miss a step or something and fall over. He was too nervous for this. He felt as if he needed to sit down now, as if it were too hot in there. The world was in slow motion, and they were blinking at each other.

"Jack," Kim smiled hesitantly. Milton was laughing from Jack's side until he kicked his knee from the side, and he shut up. "Um, hey."

"Hi, Kim."

"This is Jack?" The African-American friend Kim had brought said, a smirk on her lips. "He is so fine." Jack blushed a little bit, and reached the back of his neck nervously. "Now ain't that right, Kim?" The blonde cleared her throat, looking at if she wanted to punch her. The girl shrugged. "I'm Margaret." Jack offered out a hand but Margaret shook her head. "Black girls don't shake. They hug." And then Jack was attacked by Margaret's arms, and laughed.

"Margaret, you're going to freaking suffocate him," The strawberry blonde-brunette said from next to Kim, the one Milton had been eyeing the entire time. The girl took Margaret by the hips and got her off of Jack, even though she wasn't holding on for that long. Jack laughed again. "I'm sorry about her. She's just really friendly." She offered out a hand. "I'm Julie."

"Jack," the brunet said, shaking it.

Milton slapped Jack's hand away after a second, and shook her hand as well. "And I'm Milton." Julie nodded and giggled, tucking in hair behind her ear. Everyone else could sense in the room that they already had some vibe going on.

When Iris started crying out of the blue, everyone looked at where she was, and saw Jerry was holding her up in the air, his face twisted into a disgusted expression. On his face was a whole lot of white vomit, which had obviously come from Iris, since she just had mashed potato. Jack groaned. "She just ate, smartass."

"How was I supposed to know?" Jerry said, his voice going down and then squeaking. Looking a bit fed up, Jack circled over and took Iris from Jerry, looking over what she was wearing. Jack sniffed her.

"You look fine to me," Jack said, smiling. "Good aim you have, babe." Everyone laughed, expect for Jerry, who rushed to the bathroom, trying to fix himself up. "I need to leave her in female care."

Eddie pouted. "I want to hold the baby."

Jack rolled his eyes and handed Iris to him, and Eddie smiled, as if it were the first thing he'd ever achieved in life. Jack shook his head. "If she sheds a single tear, Eddie, I'm going to lock you up in her room for the night, see how you like it." And just like that, Eddie's smile faded.

"You shouldn't worry, Jack," Grace said, smiling, patting Eddie's shoulder. "I'll look after him."

"We can play a good game of role-play," Margaret said in such a tone that concern Jack just slightly. "I'll be your sugar mama, and you can be my baby daddy," Margaret sat down next to him now, her hand settling on his thigh.

Jack looked at Julie. "Someone better keep her on a leash." Julie laughed. Jack looked at Kim, who was already staring at him and then he felt the need to clear his throat. "Kim, could you help me with the food?" But even Kim knew this had nothing to do with the food. She didn't even answer him. She just followed him into the kitchen, not a word being said. Even without words exchanged, they could both just feel everybody's eyes on them. It's as if they all knew.

Jack started opening all of the packets of chips and sweets, Kim getting the already made hot dogs out of the fridge. She put them next to Jack, and was about to get the soda out of the fridge when a hand wrapped around her wrist. "Kim." Kim knew she couldn't run away from this. She wouldn't need to if she had her head screwed on straight. She turned back and exhaled heavily. She didn't know what to say; she'd gone blank.

"I don't want things between us to be awkward," Jack said softly, looking at her so intensely, she thought she would melt.

"Well, it's a little too late for that, Jack. What you said last night clearly just created that kind of atmosphere for us," Kim said a little too loudly, and made her way back to the fridge, only to be back in a few seconds.

"I'm not going to lie, Kim."

"You could have just held it back! You didn't have to say anything else! I was trying to set the lines where they should be, and you really just fucked it up." People were looking now, because Kim had cursed really badly, but Jack didn't really care at that moment. He wanted to get this whole awkward thing cleared.

"It's really funny because before last night, I could tell you anything without judgment and now, all of a sudden, me telling you what I'm really thinking is wrong! I'm just being honest, okay? That's all I'm asking from you. For you to be honest too."

"Jack, do you think if I didn't care about you how you care for me, I'd be doing half the crap I'm doing for you and Iris?" The room went silence, expect for Iris' continuous cooing. "There. I said. Last night was just an accident, okay? It was just that I got caught up in the moment, and let me feelings get to the best of me."

"Last I checked, last night was '_wrong_'," Jack used his fingers for gestures, and Kim ran a nervous hand through her hair, and turned around, going back to the fridge. But she didn't need anything from it. She just around in it, the light burning her pupils. She couldn't bear to continue with Jack right now. She was breathing heavily, nearly choking. "Last night was no accident, Kim, and you know that."

She closed the fridge, and looked back at the brunet. Her chin was held up high, in a snotty way, though. It was getting on Jack's nerves. "I think Iris needs a diaper change," the blonde said, more demanding than anything.

Jack couldn't resist rolling his eyes. "Iris doesn't need a diaper change. I just changed her."

"Then she'll just have to be changed again," Kim said, and then tried walking away from Kim, but he caught her wrist.

"You're not going to run away from this!" Jack said, louder than intended. Everyone in the room was starting to get a little bit uncomfortable. They knew they shouldn't be listening, but they could hardly talk themselves without on of the two raising their voice a little bit, stopping them midsentence.

Grace jumped up. "I'm going to see if Jerry's doing okay. He's been in the bathroom too long, hasn't he?" And the little brunette basically sprinted out the room, and the others were left, no excuses thought of, to watch the scene come to a close.

"It doesn't matter if last night was an accident or not, Jack!" Kim snapped. "It doesn't matter if I have feelings for you or not! Nothing of what we think matters right now! We're taking care of a kid, and whatever happens between us, _she's_ also affected by! I can't deal with this, and I'm sure you can't either. Last night was just one of those nights that our feelings were all over the place, and we came to this sudden realization, okay?"

"It's not if you don't want it to be."

"It doesn't matter because of Iris –"

Jack's blood was boiling so much right now; he thought he could literally just throw a table. "Stop using my damn daughter as an excuse! You're not doing this because of Iris! You're doing it because you're just scared. I'm scared too, Kim, but you don't see me blaming my daughter for everything I can't do!"

"That's because she's _yours!_" Kim saw Jack open his mouth, about to say something else, but she stopped him, turning around. "Jack, you have guests over. This conversation is over. I'm going to change Iris." Jack's jaw clenched as he saw the blonde pick his daughter up, taking her away from Eddie, and then marched out of the room. What came next was a door slamming.

Jack crouched down next the counter, lots of thoughts running through his head. His friends watched him nervously, hoping that today wasn't going to be too hectic. They really didn't need that. Jack didn't need that.

The silence broke, however, when a high-pitched shriek was heard.

* * *

_**Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.**_

**- Lao Tzu**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_This is one of the longest chapters I've ever written. But it didn't take as long as I thought it would, so I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. This chapter wasn't really emotional, and more dramatic, but next chapter, things are going to start getting a little heavy (as you might be able to tell from the tiny cliffhanger I left). Well, I'm expecting it to. I have the story all planned out. It's easier 'cause after all, it's just a trilogy. _

_I made Margaret pretty OOC, and I know that, but I just went with the flow, and the flows have spoken you know? Also, the gang will appear more in the next chapter, whereas in this one they only appeared near the end. Also, did anyone expect that Donna was Jack's past lover? I thought it would be different, because in other stories, she's the antagonist. _

_Please review and tell me your thoughts and stuff please? (: I'd really like to know what you thought about it. Alerts and all that are also welcome and everything. I hope that this chapter wasn't too cliché. And because it's nice and early, I don't have to sleep, so I'll just get started on the next chapter. Hehe. I have no social life. _

_Keep amazing, my skittles._

_Nia (: x_


	2. Part Two: Broken Promises

**Author's Note:**

_Ermerhgerd, thank you for all the nice feedback and thanks also for the follows and favorites :') They really motivate me to right on. I feel so motivated I stayed up until two trying to write this and polish it as perfectly as I could. I don't know how many times I've re-written this chapter though, oh my word. I feel as if my head is about to explode. Not just because of the writing, but for us, it's back to school tomorrow, and I really don't feel like going back. So you can expect me to update some time this weekend. _

_Like I promised, or rather just said, this chapter is the emotional one, and I've also added in a little bit more drama, you know, just because I love it. Things will start to make a lot more sense (on the whole Donna front) and other things shall happen too. I spent basically five minutes planning this out on paper because I had it so nicely thought out. _

_Before I start and everything, I just want to dedicate this chapter to my good friend Lisa, and the mother God forgot to give to me, Sheryl. I was just writing this, and thought of them. (:_

_Enjoy the chapter, everyone. (: _

_Oh, and PS, just before I start, if you look at the word count, this chapter is insanely long, so I'm just warning you. _

_**DISCLAIMER: **__I don't own Kickin' It. If I did, I guarantee you shit with Jack and Kim would have been moving faster by now …_

* * *

_Broken Promises_

* * *

Kim had simply just never been the one for hospitals.

It wasn't just the fact that they were stingy and smelt like drugs, and that the sight of the many injured or sick people made her sad, but it was also just the presence of everybody in a hospital. Sometimes, it could be a good thing they're there for. Maybe for a check-up of something, a baby getting a vaccination, soon-to-be mothers coming in and out, and who knows? Maybe a lucky somebody would be told that they have survived cancer. There were also bad things – and bad things seemed to always bring Kim to the hospital.

She didn't think having to _come_ to the hospital was the worst, but she thought waiting was the worst part. She wasn't a very patient person either, but it didn't matter how long you could stand not knowing what was going on. When you wait to hear how someone is doing, even if it is the tiniest thing that they have been brought in for, there was always that green monster that developed inside of you, eating away at all of your body organs, and you constantly had the crumbling feeling, so if you just wanted to vomit.

The blonde thought that maybe, after what God decided to put her through, that maybe the last time she was in this state, it would be the absolute last. The Big Man upstairs had brought her here though, today, and in a panic. She wasn't panicking alone, however. She'd been left with her friends and the guys as well, while Jack had gone off, demanding to see and know how Iris was doing.

Julie was rubbing Kim's back comfortingly, and Grace was on Kim's other side, trying to comfort her in the best way possible. "It's going to be okay," Grace said in a soft voice. "It can't be that bad, now, could it?" That's what everyone was hoping. But judging by how long they'd been waiting, they were assuming there were complications.

Kim wanted to just burst into tears. All of this was her fault – Iris being here, Jack worrying, everyone else trapped here, their day obviously ruined. She hadn't felt like this in a long time, but now she remembered why she didn't want to experience it all over again. Who was she kidding? It was her fault. If she hadn't made that dramatic exit out the kitchen, everything would be fine. But now look where everyone was. All because of her being a coward.

"Eddie and I are heading to the cafeteria," Margaret's voice said. Kim looked up from her knees and saw the two standing in front of her, their faces looking a little stressed. "Do you want anything?" Kim shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine," Kim choked out. She couldn't eat. The monster inside of her would eat that too, and she'd just feel worse. The two disappeared from her sight, and her eyes met with her knees again. She was gripping the chair she was sitting on so tightly, she could feel her knuckles starting to strain. She was biting on her lip so hard, she swore she just tasted blood. Silence hovered across the room again, and Kim could keep several eyes burning into her. "Jack probably hates me right now."

"No, he doesn't," Julie said in a soothing voice, as if she were a mother. "He knows it wasn't your fault this all happened." Kim could pick up Julie being a little unsure about that part. She was tired of people lying to her about what happened not being her fault. She should have smelt the fire begin even before she went through Iris' door. She should have left the door open in order for them to be able to escape. Now the little girl was in trouble because of Kim's anger.

"I'm hungry," Jerry said, and when Kim looked up, she saw the Latino was already standing, adjusting his shirt. Kim liked that Jerry didn't seem to be affected by this madness, and he wasn't hesitant in showing that fact off. She nearly giggled because of how randomly he brought it up. The humor wasn't enough to lift her spirits though.

Grace looked at her boyfriend, a little bit annoyed. "Jerry. Seriously? Right now?"

He shrugged. "I'm just heading over to the cafeteria with Milton to grab something to eat. We didn't get to eat back home so cherishing this vending machine moment would probably be best." Jerry looked down at the ginger-haired lanky guy, who was still seated in his chair. "Dude, are you coming?"

"I'm going to stay here with the girls," Milton said, his shoulders hunched a little.

Kim shook her head. "No, all of you just go eat. I shouldn't be stopping you. I didn't feed you, and I shouldn't be stopping you from doing that now. Just go. I wouldn't mind being alone for a little bit." Everyone looked at her in concern, but they got up anyways because they respected her wanting to just be alone and think. Julie and Grace gave the blonde a little squeeze before standing up, and leaving Kim alone in the waiting room, going to get some food with the guys.

While the blonde just sat there, looking at her fidgety hands, she started to concentrate on inhaling and exhaling properly, since her heartbeat was stopping her from that part.

The images just kept on flashing back in her head, when she walked into Iris' room and slammed the door behind her, only to realize that a fire had caught alight in the little garbage can next to the crib. The alarm didn't go off until the fire was in full force, and unfortunately, they could not escape because of the door being stuck. Iris had been crying, and coughing, and Kim had started freaking out, ready to kick the door down herself. Jack took care of that part, however, and was able to break them out quickly, the fire brigade already downstairs.

The next few minutes were blurred in Kim's memory, with everyone in the building having to evacuate. They arrived at the hospital soon enough to get Iris quickly to a doctor, since her coughing hadn't calmed down ever since the fire. Kim remembered Jack pacing for the first ten minutes at the hospital, expecting somebody to get to him, but he wasn't patient enough to wait more, and demanded he saw the doctor who was sorting his girl out.

She was so lost in all of her thoughts; she didn't realize when Jack had walked into the room, until he had spoken.

"She's going to be fine," his voice said.

When she looked up, she saw his face was hard, as if trying to stuff what he was really feeling in, because he was afraid of showing it. Kim just jumped up, and swung her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. She just felt like she needed to, otherwise she would break because of the guilt that was eating her up from the inside. When Jack's grip around her waist tightened, Kim felt her eyes water, and she just let the tears fall.

"I'm so sorry," Kim whispered, because if she said it louder, she would have started sobbing. "I just – I was – we were …" Kim's attempt at not crying had failed, because then she started inhaling quick and soft breathes. She would have just melted out of Jack's arms if he weren't holding her tightly enough. She wanted to be strong for everyone, for all of them, because this was her problem, but she had no control over her emotions. She just needed to cry.

"It's going to be okay, alright?" Jack said into her ear, and she nodded on his shoulder. Kim pulled away from Jack and wiped her tears with the back of the sleeve of her hoodie. When she saw Jack's eyes, she saw they were full of sadness, but they weren't crying. She was envious of his ability to stay strong – especially in the worst of times. Jack stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "She'd caught something we didn't know of, so it pretty made this way more worse than it needed to be. Inhaling that much smoke fumes could have caused her lungs to collapse." It caused more tears to fall from Kim's eyes. "They're just checking up on her right now, seeing if she needs any medication, of if they will eventually collapse."

"Oh my God," Kim said into her hand, covering her mouth. Her shoulders started shaking uncontrollably. Jack's eyes were hardly able to keep the tears in anymore as well, and pulled the guilty blonde in for another hug. She could hear Jack's fast heart beat, and pulled herself together, forcing the tears to stop. "This was what I was afraid of, Jack. I was afraid of us getting in the way and then something bad would happen."

"I know," Jack said into Kim's hair, and then placed a soft kiss on top of her head, sighing uneasily. "I know you were and I should have listened to you and I'm so sorry I didn't."

"You were honest about how you felt from the beginning," Kim said softly. "I was afraid that maybe I felt something I wasn't supposed to feel last night, because being with you, it'll become complicating. I'm just afraid of feeling the way I feel with you, Jack. I always let my emotions get the best of me and I screw everything up. Just look at what I did to Iris. I could have _killed_ her! How can you even look at me?"

"Because I'm tired of fighting, Kim," Jack said, and there was a light pause between the two. "I don't want to fight anymore. It just takes up too much energy. I just really need you right now."

"What if this doesn't work?"

"I'm going to make sure it does. I'm not going to lose you." Kim looked up into his eyes and saw that he truly meant it, and that he'd clearly spoken on behalf of both of them. Kim needed him too. Jack got hold of Kim's hand, and their fingers slowly weaving with one another's. Kim felt herself smile, but this time it wasn't a mission.

It was as if a huge weight had just been lifted off her back, and she was finally free.

* * *

When Jack's eyes opened, he stared at the ceiling, letting out a long and dragging breath. In the distance, he heard really muffled singing, and sat up in his bed, grabbing his phone from his bedside table, checking the time it was. When his eyes skimmed over the date it was today, he groaned and fell back into his pillow.

"Happy birthday to you," the singing was coming closer, and his bedroom door opened, his head tilting ever so slightly just to see who was there. He didn't expect to see Kim standing there, a party hat on the baby she was holding on her hip, her other hand holding a plate which had a vanilla cupcake, one single candle lit. "Happy birthday dear Jackson, happy birthday to you!" Kim held the last note, and Iris started singing along with her, also holding the note, only it was really off key.

Jack sat up in his bed, a smile never leaving his face. He couldn't have had an even better start to his day. Kim closed the door behind her and tiptoed her way to Jack's side, putting the sparkly cupcake onto the little table beside him. "My two favorite girls," Jack took Iris from Kim, giving her a big kiss on her forehead, and snuggling her into his chest. Jack looked up from his daughter, and laid his eyes on Kim. His heart still skipped beats every time he looked at her.

"Good morning, birthday boy," Kim said, and gave him a soft and sweet kiss on his lips, and pulled away, her teeth coming into view as the corners of her mouth turned up. Jack looked down, feeling his T-Shirt wet. He hoped Iris hadn't peed through her nappy on him. It's been done before that the diaper overflows. He looked down, only to see the little brunette chewing on the material of his sleepwear. "She's just chewing everything these days! She can fit her fist in her mouth, you know that?" Jack laughed at the fact, which he had never knew.

It was teething season for the little one, and she was starting to crawl, and was becoming really curious with things around her. Jack had left her on the counter once for what he swore were two seconds, and she had grabbed the knife and started stabbing it into the wooden counter. The scars still remained.

"How did you know it was today?" Jack asked curiously. He'd never brought it up to his girlfriend that was for sure.

"I do my research," the blonde winked, taking the plate next to him and putting the cupcake in front of Jack's noise, and Jack let out a chuckle. "Go on, make a wish." Jack looked up at Kim with one eyebrow cocked up. What was there to wish for? He had everything he needed right here. A secure place for him and his girl to live, the angel from his nightmare, good friends who didn't judge him for his mistakes, a healthy family … nothing was out of place. Just to satisfy Kim, though, the brunet blew at the little flame, and then it was gone. He was yet to discover what his wish was.

Iris started reaching for Jack's cupcake, and stuffed it into her mouth, making her guardians burst into laughter. Jack didn't mind. He didn't like sweet things in the morning. "If it's okay with you, we're going to be spending today, celebrating your twentieth, by inviting the guys and girls over, have a little barbeque, and they offered to help us get started on decorating Iris' new little bedroom. Julie's, like, the DIY master. She can make anything." Jack would have imagined his Saturday a little different, maybe even getting some studying done, but he could do that tomorrow. It was his birthday. Plus, he did need a little bit of help with Iris' bedroom.

After her room nearly bursting into flames over a month ago (the cause of the scene still a mystery), they had been slowly replacing everything, piece by piece. Jack had gotten a job at the music store at the beachfront, so money wasn't too tight, since his family had offered to help out, and Kim had also offered to help pay a little bit. It was Kim's idea to go all out, painting the walls, getting in some decorations.

"Cool bananas," Jack said, and Iris smudged some of the cupcake icing onto his shirt, and he groaned. "You know I was planning to wear this today, right?" Iris giggled, as if she knew this fact and had intentionally ruined her father's shirt. "You're a naughty girl though, aren't you, Iris?"

"Kill a girl for liking food," Kim said, rolling her eyes, taking the plate into her hands and started to walk away from Jack's reach. She froze on the way out, however, and she turned around. "I don't care if it's your birthday, though. You're washing the dishes tonight, or no cake for you." Jack laughed, making a mental note of it as the blonde walked out of his door, swaying her hips to music that was not playing. The brunet certainly liked his cake – if that was the type of cake Kim was talking about.

The morning seemed to fly by, and when the intercom bell rang to welcome in the batch of guests, the apartment was squeaky clean, and Iris was being dressed into her day wear, spending some time with her daddy. Kim welcomed the gang in, and notified Jack about this. He moved his daughter into his room, and Kim got the paint buckets, which were sitting by the door and moved them to Iris' bedroom.

There was a knock at the door. Kim was about to open up, but heard her name being called from Jack's bedroom. She groaned and slumped on into the room, seeing Jack's finger in the child's mouth. "And now?" Kim asked, her eyes a little scared at the current sight. It was a little disturbing.

"Can you please get me Iris' shoes next door?" Jack asked, looking back at Kim, his eyes looking as uncomfortable as hers were. "I'm kind of trapped right now." Kim nodded, quickly coming out of the room and went to the door first. She didn't want to leave everyone outside for too long. Jack sat in the bedroom, looking at Iris, having a stare down with her, and could feel his heart starting to hurt.

As he heard all of the commotion from outside his door, he inhaled sharply, the memories seeming to hit him like a pile of bricks. This time last year, Donna was the one who was inviting friends over, and getting some of the family together to watch a movie on the couch. He remembered her sweet smile which he was greeted by almost everyday, her blonde hair that during her pregnancy, always used to be tied up because she hated the way it would make her neck hot even on the coldest of days.

The memories of his past love made him laugh to himself. Then he mentally slapped himself. He didn't know if he should still be having thoughts about a girl that has passed when he was with Kim. Was it wrong of him? Had he developed feelings for somebody too soon? He had all these questions suddenly running through his head and he had nobody to turn to for answers.

When he realized that Iris' had let his finger free, he got up, and put her on his shoulder. "I wonder if you're going to do that to all the guys in the future that you meet. Then, my girl, we're going to have a little trouble." Iris made a cooing noise, as if replying to jack's prediction, but he chuckled, as if he had heard her loud and clear.

He made his way into the living room, seeing all his friends had settled in already, gathering around the TV. When they'd recognized him, they all jumped up and started towards him, coming with hugs of all kinds. He'd made sure to put the baby down before everyone attacked. Jerry's hug surprised him the most, because he practically jumped onto him, and hugged him monkey style. It was certainly going to remain forever.

"How does it feel being the big two-zero?" Milton said, a lazy arm resting upon Jack's shoulders.

"Old," Jack shrugged, and the girls laughed, as if it was one of the funniest things in the world. "I feel old enough anyways, with a little girl on my hands anyways, so it's nothing different." Margaret got the TV on, and had the volume on high, music from MTV (which was luckily playing music at this time) and started dancing randomly in the middle of the apartment. You could tell just from the action that she liked to party.

The guys and girls seemed to split up, but not on purpose. The guys went out onto the balcony, got the fire started, Kim was in the kitchen organizing all of the meat, and the rest of the girls were in Iris' bedroom, brainstorming ideas for the color of the room, and what quote to write on the wall for her. Iris was busy in the living room, playing with her toys, and on occasional would just stick them into her mouth.

When Jack had come to the kitchen to collect the first batch of meat, Kim looked at him a little strangely. She could see just by the expression on his face that something was just not right. Jack noticed this, and cut off the connection of their eyes by looking south. He started bobbing his head to the music naturally, but Kim wasn't buying any of this. She put the food brush onto the counter, and folding her arms. "What's wrong, Jack?"

The brunet didn't feel like talking about it right now, but that would just get Kim a little mad. Nobody liked Kim when she was mad, especially him. "It's nothing. Just have a little headache." He cleared his throat, where a lump had suddenly developed. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Kim slumped. "Don't you want this? You said you were fine with it this morning."

Jack was just about to protest to this, when he realized Kim was referring to the little get together of friends. He exhaled and shook his head hastily. "I am fine with it. Just – we can talk about this later. I just came here to get the damn meat." Kim knew to let it just die down, because when Jack started swearing, you could already tell he didn't want to talk. She passed him the Tupperware dish with the sauced meat inside. "Thank you."

Before the blonde could say anything else, her boyfriend slyly sneaks out of the room, without a single sound.

The hours drag by, and when the guys are done with the meat, they move the party inside onto the couches, surrounding Iris, ruining her little set up. Jack and Milton were talking about the creepy professors on their school grounds, while Eddie and Jerry were just debating whether the queen ate donuts or not. For just a few hours, Jack was able to just able to chill with his friends and not care about anything.

He thought, though, he was going mad for a second when he heard Donna calling his name. He looked around the room, seeing nothing, only to have the lump in his throat return. He looked back at Milton, not remembering what he had said. "… wart on her nose, making her look like a freaking witch. I can't even concentrate one what she's even saying half of the time because of the cockroach on her face – and that's really bad, because I'm a freaking dork."

"Could you excuse me for a second, Milton?" Jack said, but not letting the ginger decide, because he was off anyways. He made his way to his bedroom, hearing the girls giggle from Iris' bedroom, and Grace saying something about flower petals. When jack reached his door, he closed it behind him, and sighed. He was feeling really out of it today and he didn't know why. Today of all days, Donna was beginning to haunt him, and he was starting to question a lot of things.

Maybe he was moving a little fast with things.

He sunk down beside his bed, his head thrown back onto the surface of the mattress. The brunet hadn't felt this kind of depression since the day she went. She was screaming at Jack that she didn't want the baby anymore, and that it being around would just complicate things. The last time they spoke properly, they were fighting. He regretted picking a fight with her. He didn't know that day that it would be the last he'd see her.

Then there was Kim. The girl that had saved him from all of his confusion, yet here he was, confused. They just got together, and everything was going great. Jack didn't know why he thought everything was wrong now. Maybe he was overthinking everything. Today, Jack couldn't explain how he was feeling.

He didn't know if he was scared, confused, angry or sad. He felt all of them mushed together, and it was starting to kill him from the inside. He'd do anything at that moment just to see her one more time, apologize, making things right, and ask her questions of why she left him to deal with all of this. They were supposed to be in it together, weren't they? With nobody else. She'd promised. He discovered he wasn't the only one who had broken the promise in the first place.

He reached into his pocket for his cellphone, and then unlocked it quickly, his fingers tapping across the screen. When he reached where he wanted to be, he clicked on the file he wanted to open, and saw the screen fade. What fade in was the face that he always broke his heart to see. There she was, sitting on her bed in her room, her glasses on as she was reading a book, which was placed on top of her big pregnant belly. The clip was just of her reading it, her eyes skimming across the page. He squinted and saw that she was reading _The Truth About Forever_. Nobody had ever known it but Jack, but Donna was actually quite the bookworm.

He was relieved that her face was still the same as he remembered. She was forever radiant, her skin glowing, her eyes still big and green, even more under the glass. Her lips were forever pouting, even though she wasn't doing it. She wasn't wearing any make up, and Jack really preferred her without it. She didn't need it. She was naturally beautiful.

"_What about Clara?" _The girl inside the clip said, looking at the camera. His heart stopped inside of his chest, hearing that voice again. It was like seeing a ghost. It made the hairs on his skin stand up like spikes of grass. _"Jack, put that away. You know I hate being on camera."_

A voice that wasn't coming out of Donna's mouth in the clip laughed. _"But the camera loves you. Wouldn't it be really boss just to show our kid one day how we came up with her name? Wouldn't that be awesome?" _Jack chuckled out loud at him being passionate about getting all of this on camera.

"_Yeah, because you'll forever have that phone,"_ Donna said, and she turned the page in the screen. _"I like Connor for a boy. But then at the same time, I don't want it to be too formal, too posh. I want it unique, but also not something he'd get teased in high school about." _Donna closed her book, a little angrily. _"Am I the only one who's even thinking about this?" _Jack really missed her always complaining about small things.

"_No, you're not," _Jack in the video said, and Donna folded her arms, lifting her glasses to her forehead, using it as a headband, like they were sunglasses. She did that a lot. _"I promise I'm thinking, babe. Just give me a second … I know! Dante."_

"_Dante?" _Donna's eyes widened. _"Are you freaking kidding me? I don't want our child to sound like he was conceived in the ghetto or something. I'd rather go with the posh name." _

"_People will tease him though for sounding like a brand of soap." _

"Running out on your own party?" Jack lifted him head up to see Kim by the door, and felt a little invaded. He'd shut the door closed for a reason. But Kim practically lived here, so he didn't know why he was feeling that way. Kim wasn't smiling. Even though she sounded a little teasing. She looked concerned.

Jack nodded, clearing his throat. "I just needed a little time alone." And he thought he'd remain alone. He didn't expect Kim to run out the door, though either. She closed the door behind her, and started walking slowly towards Jack's crouched figure.

"_Marcus?" _

"_Donna. And you think my name suggestions seem ghetto?"_

Jack's attention moved back the screen, and could see in the corner of his eye Kim was settling down next to him, slowly but surely, and when she was, she too was looking at the phone screen. The camera was a little shaky, because Jack in the film was moving, and the camera focus was moving closer to Donna, her face becoming even more noticeable. It made Jack's heart hurt even more.

"_It's not a ghetto name at all. It's just a name that can be used for both races. I can't believe how racist you're being." _ Donna just blinking into the camera, like whoever was watching was just crazy.

"She was beautiful," Kim said from next to Jack, even though the blonde had knew she'd said it before, but she felt the need to say it again. She didn't know how she could even compete with her. And it still frightened her how much her and Iris looked alike.

Jack exhaled. "I know. I just – for some weird reason, right now I'm just really missing her. I can't stop thinking about how she just left me so I could do it all on my own. Before all of this happened, when I guess my love for her was at its highest, I couldn't imagine life without her, but yet here I am." Jack paused the video and rested his phone next to him.

A pause filled between the two of them. Kim broke it though. "I'm sorry that you feel this way, Jack," Kim said, her head settling into his neck, and his head landing on top of hers, her hand resting comfortingly on his thigh. "I think she'd want you to be happy, though, and stop worrying. It's your birthday, and you deserve to feel a little special. You only turn twenty once. Yeah, you've moved on, and I can tell you have, but I think you're having a problem with letting go of her."

Jack was starting to think Kim was right. Maybe that was the problem. I didn't want to let her go completely, but maybe I should just do it, for the sake of everybody else who's involved in this baby drama.

"Will you help me?" Jack said, his fingers starting to trace patterns on Kim's hand. Jack looked up into Kim's eyes and saw they were smiling at him.

"We're in this together."

* * *

Two nights later, Kim awoke from her nap on the couch in the living room and just saw darkness. She may have only seen darkness, but she heard something. It was a beautiful sound actually. It was beautiful _music_ coming from the direction of Jack's room. She recognized the song that was playing all too well, however, and decided to follow it, getting up from the couch.

Kim knew it led straight to Jack. Why would he be playing music so late at night, when Iris was actually sleeping? What would have been even better timing? The blonde opened the door slowly and carefully, not wanting the music to stop. She was really astonished when the door had opened and saw that it wasn't actually coming from a radio, or from Jack's laptop, like she had expected. She was wrong. It was coming from Jack – well, his guitar, which she never knew he owned.

The girl had always know that Jack had chosen to major music at varsity, but she didn't expect him to play – and he didn't expect him to play so beautifully. She felt a little bit delayed, as if he'd told her before or even just mentioned it, but she didn't take note.

"Oh my God, that's beautiful," Kim couldn't help put say aloud, and Jack's head whipped up, and she could tell that he wasn't expecting her up so soon. He stopped playing and looked at Kim standing in the doorway, smiling when he realized she was wearing his jersey.

"Hey, sleepy head, you up?" Jack said, and Kim came into the room, which wasn't too dark because the lamp was lit. She walked into the room, and jumped onto his bed, beside him, as if she were a little kid getting ready to snuggle up with one of her parents.

Kim lay back on the bed, sighing, closing her eyes. "Play again."

Jack started playing, his fingers drifting upon the strings of the guitar in a smooth motion, his head starting to focus on one thing and one thing only: the music. He just started getting lost, like he always did when his fingers dancing, the beautiful sound ringing through the air.

"_**So just give it one more try to a lullaby and turn this up on the radio," **_Kim couldn't help but just sing along softly to the music, feeling her chest becoming heavy and tight, as if she were about to burst into tears. _**"If you can hear me now, I'm reaching out, to let you know that you're not alone. And you can't tell I'm scared as hell, 'cause I can't get you on the telephone. So just close your eyes. Well, honey, here comes a lullaby. Your very own lullaby." **_Kim stopped, when she realized the music had stopped, and she'd basically sung half of the chorus on her own.

When Kim's eyes fluttered open, she saw a face looking down at her, and she exhaled, even though it was a little difficult. Her heart skipped a few beats when his thumb came down to touch her cheek. There was something wet upon it. "You're crying." Jack said, lay down next to Kim, his head turned, his lips starting to kiss her shoulder. "There's something on your mind, isn't there?"

"My mom always used to sing lullabies to me, before bed," Kim said, turning onto her side to look at Jack in the eye. "She was a musician too, and I used to think, because she had the voice of an angel that it would scare the monsters under my bed away." Kim laughed to herself, but Jack just looked at her, admiring how beautiful she was. "She was my best friend. I don't wear it out or anything, and I didn't get the chance to tell you properly. You always said I could tell you anything but I didn't want to overwhelm you."

"What didn't you want to overwhelm me with?" Jack said softly, tucking in a hanging lock behind Kim's ear.

Kim took a deep breath in. "My mother had cancer for a really long time. It was more painful that way though, because everything was happening so slowly. I got to see her just crumble and become weak. Even when she was weak though, she still managed to be so strong, and I loved her for that." Kim's voice croaked, and before she could even tell herself to keep the tears in, they started sliding down her face. "I thought she was going to get better, and then everything would go back to normal. I was just waiting for her to get better, but then she never did, and when I lost her, I …" Kim couldn't even complete her sentence without bursting into sobs.

Jack put a comforting hand on Kim's cheek, wiping away her tears, so badly just wanting to pull her into his arms. He hated seeing Kim like this, and he hardly ever did. There were just times where they would be upset together, but most of the time, Kim was strong for Jack. Now it was his turn to be strong for her. "It's okay to hurt sometimes, Kim. You can't always be so strong," Jack felt his throat starting to becoming tight. He took in a really sharp breath.

"I just really wish that sometimes, she would come back. I want to be strong like her, and I want to be just like her towards Iris and – and you," Kim said, and Jack felt himself also to slowly lose it.

"Kim, you are," Jack said, a tear sliding down his cheek. "You're amazing, Kim. Just, just don't forget that. I don't know what would be happening around here if I didn't have you with me. You just … you complete this whole picture." Jack said, and then he smiled sadly at her, Kim sniffling in a few breaths. "I love you, Kim. And I want you to stay. Here with us; all the time."

The blonde smiled. "I love you too. I want to be here with you all the time." Kim was looking into Jack's eyes that she just drowned herself, and pulled him in to a kiss.

The kiss didn't seem like the others at all. It seemed to sum up what words never could, and how they really felt about each other. They both _needed_ each other, they were both _desperate_ for each other, and right now, they knew it for sure. No questions needed to be asked.

The kissing slowly turned to lust, and right then and there, Jack didn't hesitate to think so. He _wanted_ Kim, and he had never been so sure. Jack brought Kim closer to him, his lips also travelling from Kim's lips, which were still gasping for more of him, and went down to the slope of her neck, his lips seemingly losing control, like they weren't his anymore. The blonde remembered what happened vividly what had happened the previous time they were in this position.

Kim lifted her lips from the brunet's, and bit her lip nervously, her breathing still a little shaky. "Jack, are you sure about this? I don't want you to do anything you'd regret."

"I won't regret this," Jack said in a husky tone, shaking his head. "Kim, I really just want you, and so badly." Kim believed him though, that he was sure and that he was ready. Those eyes could just tell you so much, and Jack needn't to have said a word. Kim's lips crashed hungrily upon his again, and she realized she was sure of this as well.

Jack's hand started crawling under the fabrics of the jersey Kim's was wearing, remembering where he had left of last time, and with his other free hand, he reached across the bedside table, and the light that had illuminated the room blinked and then there was darkness.

* * *

The Andersons had a family tradition, which was to invite a family to help celebrate the special holiday every time it came around, and Jack thought that there couldn't be an even better way in celebrating Thanksgiving this year than bringing Kim along with him at home, who was also bringing her side of the family with her. Kim couldn't deny the offer – besides, she really wanted to meet Jack's family and Jack wanted to meet her family as well.

"Jackson is a name for a kid with a big house," Amber was saying in the backseat of Kim's Volvo, munching on Skittles. Kim had never told Amber about what happened between her and Jack, but she'd told her family about her helping him out and everyone was pretty accepting about it. Kim had always had a kind and helpful soul, and she couldn't help that people with problems just seemed to find her.

Kim, her father, her sister, and her cousin were all in the car, all on their way to Jack's family villa. That Thanksgiving morning, the brunet had regretfully left early for home with the baby because he didn't want his mother to do all of the heavy lifting with the cooking and the cleaning. That way, Kim had the whole apartment to herself for a little while, giving her time to pick out what she was going to wear the first time she met Jack's family. It was starting to get just a little bit chilly outside, so Kim put a jersey over her beige little dress, pairing it with a belt a darker color than the fabric and her old and traditional cowgirl boots.

Because the other half of Kim's family lived in Tennessee, the last time she had a proper Thanksgiving was probably the year before she moves with her family to Seaford for a brand new start – which was ages ago, seemed like it. Jack's tradition, however, seemed to awaken the excitement of everybody in her family, and Kim's cousin, who was currently schooling at a college just outside of Seaford, offered to drive in and enjoy the holiday with what she had of her family.

Kim rolled her eyes in the rearview mirror at her sister, who looked exactly like her and could be considered twins if it weren't for the age difference, and sighed. "I've never seen his house, so I guess you won't know until we get there," Kim said, her main focus on the road. She'd never driven through this part of Seaford before, the part where all the Victorian kind of scenes were laid out. In this area, you'd find houses that were having ivy growing on the outside; you'd have traditional birdhouse right next to the mailbox, as if you were living in some little fairytale. Kim shrugged. Maybe her sister was right. It did sound like the name for a rich kid.

"It doesn't matter how much money this boy has," Kim's father called back from the passenger seat next to the blonde. "What matters is that he sounds really wonderful already, inviting us in to share a luncheon with his folks. I like how he sounds so far, very polite, very nice. I might let you have this one, Kimster." Kim laughed at her father's comment.

In the back, Kim's cousin, Skylar, crossed her legs. She was a little bit curvier that Kim and Amber, and she was a brunette. Other than those few differences, you could still tell how all of them were related, since the looks had only been picked up on one side of the family. She was older than Kim by a year, and took the same major as Kim did – Writing and English Literature. "Does he have any siblings?"

"And why would you want to know, you little horse?" Amber said, smirking at her cousin and laughing her very goofy laugh.

Skylar shrugged, but she couldn't hide her smirk as well. "You've got to ask, you know. The hot ones always have a brother."

"Skylar, I'm disturbed," Kim's father declared.

"You and I both, Daddy," Kim shook her head in dismay, but then a smile lit up her face when she knew she'd found the right house. Amber's predictions were right. His house was pretty big, but also outstandingly beautiful, with a fountain outside on the front lawn, the traditional hedges, and the rose bushes. Jack had mentioned his family having a lot of money before but not even that prepared her for this. Kim casually pull her car into the driveway.

Amber's mouth opened. "You see Kim? I told you. Jack is a name for rich boys." Kim didn't even feel like putting up an argument when the car came to a halt. Even though her father wasn't saying anything at all, she could tell by the expression on his face that he was fairly impressed.

"You look like a hipster," Kim said once she saw what Skylar was wearing, as if she were attending a beach part of some sort, which meant she was exposing most of the skin she had on her body. "Would it kill you just to dress a little nicely? I don't want the Andersons to have the impression that you live in a tent."

Skylar rolled her eyes, ignoring Kim's input, and the family made their way to the door, having a quiet quarrel about how inappropriately dressed Skylar was for this event. Kim's father was the one to ring the doorbell, and then the family was greeted by a face that reminded Kim so much of Jack, but just in a female form. She was holding Iris on her hip, and smiled at all of the Crawfords, a big and genuine smile on her face.

"Hello, everybody! So pleasant to finally meet you all. Come in, come in." She said, and pulled Kim's father for a friendly hug, and did the same to each family member as they made their way into the house. The first smell that hit Kim when she entered was turkey, then it was the fire that had been lit somewhere in the household, and she could still smell all the wood that there had to be in the house.

It didn't matter what if smelt like though. The place was stunning, and Kim adored how old-fashioned it was. The set up just made her feel right at home.

Jack's mother closed the door behind the blonde, and said something, so Kim turned around. "You're Kimberly?" Kim nodded, tucking in her hair nervously behind her ear. She didn't want things to be too awkward. She was a very approachable person. She was just a little jittery because first impressions counted a lot, and she didn't want Jack's mother to have funny feelings about her. "My God," Jack's mother pulled the girl into another hug. "It's so nice to finally meet the angel who's been watching over my son."

"It's so nice to finally meet Jack's big sister," Kim said, a smile plastered onto her face, hoping that her little sprinkle of charm could shine through it.

Jack's mother laughed and patted Kim's shoulder, shaking her head, still getting rid of her giggles. Kim was giggling as well, happy that she'd stepped on the right foot first. "I'm Heather, Jack's _mother_, darling." She shook hands with Kim, her grip not being too firm. "I must say you're even more prettier than Jack described. He said he didn't want me to say too much to you but oh well. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Oh God, I'm talking too much. He's in the kitchen. Straight down, turn right."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Anderson," Kim said, and she turned around, quickly skipping away to find her boyfriend.

She followed the clear instructions that Mrs. Anderson had given her, and wasn't too surprised to see Jack getting the dishes out of the cupboard and the cutlery out of the drawers. Kim was just stood by the doorway, watching as Jack was helping out. When he turned around and saw her standing there, a big smile grew on his face. He put down the floral dish he was holding and wrapped his arms around the girl that had reached him already.

Jack kissed the top of her head. "You're here!" He said into her hair, squeezing her tighter. He kissed her head again a few times before he said, "You look gorgeous." Kim laughed into his shirt, before she pulled away and then shrugged.

"Do you need any help?" Kim asked.

"Kim, you're the guest. You couldn't possibly –" but the brunet cut himself off when Kim crossed her arms, sitting on her hip and looking at him with one of those _are you kidding me?_ looks that he always got from her when he said something stupid. He didn't get why he'd suddenly got the look now, and that's what scared him.

Kim was passed Jack and into the kitchen, just leaning against the counter, looking around the orange kitchen. "I'm basically a part of this family, aren't I?" That brought a smile to Jack's lips. Kim felt that she was, after what they've been through. Jack sneaked up on her slowly and grabbed her hips from behind, burying his chin into her neck.

"I love you so much, you know that?" Jack said into her ear softly.

Her heart warmed up. "I love you too," she whispered, turning her head and kissed Jack on the cheek. "Now show me where the dishes are. I don't want your family thinking bad things of me."

* * *

"So, how life, Jack?" Skylar asked casually, stabbing the drumstick on her plate with her fork. "Have a job?" Everyone was seated and eating, sharing a couple of stories, asking a little bit of questions, getting to know each other better. Kim was really glad about that. It made her really happy that they were all getting along and having a good time. She'd put Iris to sleep a matter of minutes before, only being able to feed her two spoons of Mac and Cheese before she passed out.

The table was filled with all kinds of food, and the blonde know understood why Jack wanted to help his mother earlier on. It sure was a lot of food to cook. The table looked splendid, with the vase of flowers right in the middle, candles surrounding the food, lighting up the room even more. It was really cliché, but Kim loved it that way. That was how it was supposed to be in her opinion.

Jack quickly chewed his food and wiped his mouth with the serviette next to his plate, folding it as he always did with the things he wiped his mouth with. These were one of the first things Kim realized about Jack when she started helping him. "I work at a music store. It's pretty legit."

"Legit," Kim echoed smiling, and caught the wink that Jack threw her from across the table. Her insides turned upside down as she forced her attention back down to her food, opening her mouth to eat the salad on her fork.

"What I mean is, it's just so comforting working around something you love, you know? Makes everything so much easier. Even though I'm just behind the till, selling people CD's and stuff, it's still in a weird way really cool. You see how many people like which CD's, you see what music they're really into. It's all just really fascinating, you know?" All eyes were on Jack, some really surprised by his answer.

Kim's father cleared his throat. "You're a very observant man, aren't you, Jackson?" Kim cringed at the fact that her father didn't call him Jack like the rest of them did. The blonde middle-aged man shrugged. "It's a good thing. It shall get you very fall in life, I'll tell you that. Good decisions comes from observant minds."

"Yeah, because Jack's just swell at that," the little teenage boy in the corner of the table said from under his really long fringe of hair, flipping it to the side. He didn't look young at all. He was just like Jack, only he seemed to be more of the surfer kind, judging by his style in dress, and he had freckles upon his nose.

Mrs. Anderson gasped, and everyone was a little taken aback by Jack's brother's comment. Jack also lost a little bit of color in his face. "Michael!" Mrs. Anderson shouted to his side of the table. Kim shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and became very focused in her eating. "Don't be difficult!"

"Oh, did I say that out loud?" Michael gasped as well, even though his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Apologize, young man," Jack's mother demanded.

"Sorry, Jack."

Jack just rolled eyes and went back to eating his food. Mrs. Anderson was still a little bit shocked at what her youngest son had said, but managed to let it slide by her. Mr. Anderson had been missing for quite some time now, claiming to have gone to the bathroom, not leaving without letting everyone know it was possible for all of them to socialize without him present.

Kim turned her head when she heard Amber giggling. She looked where her eyes were and nearly choked on the intake of cucumber she had. She was full on mime flirting with Jack's brother, even after what he'd just said. She ignored them, and decided to bring her attention to the current conversation that was taking place.

"Kimmy's very excited about England," Kim's father said, smiling at his daughter, even though her heart was thumping fast and loud as she dropped her fork. "I'm so proud of her. I always told her to follow her dreams. It's a hell load to sort out down here, but as long as she shares her millions in a few years, it wouldn't be a problem at all." He sighed happily, as if it were the greatest thing in the world. Kim nearly kicked herself because her father had brought the subject up, and looked at her food, her palms outspread on the tablecloth.

Jack's expression twisted, his smile evaporating very fast. "England?"

Amber nodded while she was taking a sip out of her cup of juice, and put in down on the table after she had swallowed. "Yeah. A professor up there read on of her works online and ordered her to enroll at Cambridge. She sent in some application forms over the summer, and she kept on saying she'd never imagine them accepting her because they're a serious top notch school, but because of her grades, her graduating early, yeah, yeah, yeah, they made an exception."

Jack's face relaxed, but you could see he wasn't. "Wait, you didn't tell him?" Kim's father's eyebrows furrowed. Kim looked up from her food, forcing a smile onto her face, and she shook her head, tucking in some more hair behind her ear, swallowing her spit. "Oh, I thought he would have been the first one to tell, since you guys have a commitment, no?"

"I would have thought so too," Jack said blankly, and it made Kim's heart wrench. She didn't want him to find out like this. She was going to tell him eventually, because she _just_ got accepted. The application though had been sent in long time ago, though, and for a second with everything seemingly in her hands, it just slipped her mind – until the letter arrived in her father's mail one morning. "She's the exception, right?"

Skylar could already sense the tension slowly started to build, and she fiddled with her hair. She started laughing out of nervousness. "Is Mr. Anderson back from the bathroom yet? I really need to go and …"

"There's a bathroom upstairs," Michael said, from his corner, and he started getting up. He smirked at Skylar, and she blushed, clamping her lips together. "It would be my pleasure to show you." Skylar was up from her seat as well, and she rushed to Michael's side as he began walking fast through the dining room, in the direction of the stairs.

Everyone was slowly beginning to become uncomfortable, and a very awkward silence started to fill the atmosphere of the room. Kim started noticing the small things Jack was doing which showed how angry he was. He was stabbing his fork into the place a little to loudly, and he was rushing to finish his food. Kim couldn't eat anymore though. What had just happened filled her up enough.

Abruptly, in the middle of eating, Jack put down his fork and knife, staring at Kim from across the table for a few seconds, his jaw clenching. "Any one else finished?" he asked, his voice differing to his current expression. He sounded calm but looked the exact opposite. Amber hesitantly raised her hand, and Jack got up from his seat, quickly walking to Kim's side of the table, but stopping beside her sister. He grabbed her plate and clashed it upon his own. "I'll get started with the dessert so long an everything. You guys just enjoy yourselves." Before anyone could say anything else, Jack stormed out.

"I'm sorry, dear," Kim's father said softly. "I didn't know he didn't know."

"It's fine, Daddy," Kim said standing up. "I guess I should go help him out, right?"

Mrs. Anderson gasped and covered her mouth with her dainty hand. "Mind you, there are dishes in there." Kim gulped. That was never a good thing.

And with perfect timing, Mr. Anderson decides to join everyone one again, taking a seat next to his wife, and once he was sitting down, he caught held on her hand, smiling like he just won a million bucks. He was still in good shape for a man his age, his hair grey but his face still young. "What did I miss?" he asked casually. "Where's Jack?"

"I'm about to go help him out with the dessert," Kim said, already on her way into the kitchen, feeling her stomach already starting to drop. She didn't like fighting with Jack, even though she kind of wished this all upon herself. She saw Jack was getting a knife out of the drawer to cut that cake which was on the counter with. She may have walked in at the wrong time.

He was about to cut the cake, ignoring Kim's presence, but couldn't and just put the knife down, his neck forcing his head to look up at Kim. "When were you going to tell me this?"

Kim paused for a second, deciding it was best to probably stay where she was. "I wanted to tell you, but then again, I thought I'd never get in and I kind of ignored it. I was going to tell you sooner or later …"

"And when's that Kim?" Jack asked, his tone becoming even more furious and the volume of his voice rising. "Were you just going to abandon us and disappear without even just warning us?"

"You know I would never do that to you, Jack," Kim said, her voice croaking, the tears already on the way. She put her fingers through her hair nervously and sighed, looking at the ground. "I applied before I met you and Iris. But then everything changed and became really complicated and I never thought that I'd actually make it because then I'd be joining mid-year, but it was worth a shot …" Kim stopped herself and exhaled shakily.

Jack nodded like he knew exactly what Kim was saying, but he really didn't. "So you were stringing us along the entire time, making promises you knew that you couldn't keep?" Jack shook his head now, not using the counter for leaning support anymore. "Do you know how messed up that is?"

"It's not like that, Jack!" Kim said, being the first to break the volume field. "I didn't know that things were going to become hectic between us! Who else would have expected this to happen? You just losing somebody and then you're with me – it seems so unreal! Don't you think it's scary on my side too?"

"Not as scary as it could be on mine, I know," Jack said, his voice not calm at all anymore. "I'm at my lowest point right now, and I thought with you around to help me, everything would be alright! You don't seem like the kind of girl to just sting people along. Maybe that's what fooled me. I didn't expect any of this. You were just pretending the whole time, weren't you? That you were going to stay, meanwhile you knew if shit went wrong down here, you could just fly up to England."

"I wasn't pretending, Jack!" Kim was crying now, her shoulders shaking in sobs. She couldn't keep herself together anymore. Everything was just spiraling out of control in just seconds. She never knew damage could take such quick effect. "I was never pretending! If I told you what was really going on, you would have hated me!"

"I could never hate you, Kim! I love you!" A tear slid down the brunet's cheek, breaking Kim even more. She didn't want it to end like this. "And then Iris is caught in the middle of all of this! Didn't you think about her? How is this going to affect her? You said we were in this together, all of us! We're a family. And you're just going to leave behind everything we built up together?"

"Jack, you know I love Iris as much as if she were my own blood …" Kim trailed off however, because she knew she had started the sentence all wrong. She couldn't take it back, even though she was so desperate to. Jack nodded, biting on his lip. "I didn't mean it that way."

Jack put his hands up in surrender. "No, it's fine, Kim. I know how it is. You were never pretending with Iris, or anything else, were you? It was just me, then?" He sighed. "I just thought we had something special." Kim wanted to protest, to scream that none of the things she said about how she felt were lies. The words somehow caught in her throat though. "You _fucking_ promised Kim. But now it's all over, isn't it?" Kim bit on her lip as Jack stormed out the back door in the kitchen, slamming the door behind him, the dishes inside the cabinets seeming to shake.

Everything inside of the blonde broke. Her heart was aching and burning, as if it were being eaten out by guilt and sadness. She slid down onto the floor, her back to the cupboard, and she just stayed into that position, before pulling her legs in and sobbing heavy and salty tears into her hands, her body unable to hold back everything she was feeling. Everything she'd been afraid of happening happened.

She lost her best friend.

* * *

_**Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come. **_

**- Robert H. Schuller **

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_This chapter is too long for my liking, but then again, I had to squeeze in everything, all into one. Oh my soul, feeling so many emotions right now, and it's really cold outside so that's not really helping. I was totally feel the emotions everyone was feeling and I feel like I've just freaking pushed a car ten miles when all I really did was laze around in my bed all night, and a little bit of the morning. _

_The guys and girls didn't appear in the chapter as much as I hoped for them to, but then again, I'm happy with the end result of everything. Imagine me just sitting here, thinking this chapter was crap and throwing it all away to start over. I don't think so. _

_Please review and tell me what you thought about everything though, and if you liked it. I really love reviews! They really make my day, like, a whole bunch. Well, let me just return to getting ready for school and all of that. Next chapter hopefully will be up either Friday night (or afternoon for you guys … well, most of you probably) or on Saturday some time. So just look out or, you know, alert. :P_

_Keep amazing,_

_Nia (: x_


	3. Part Three: A Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

_I seriously haven't updated in a long time, and I'm so sorry for that. You guys must really hate me now, because this story is not only not being updated, but because this one is up, the others aren't too._

_Truth is, I've been having a little block on this chapter, and I've been struggling of what to do and for what to happen. I had it planned out but I have to mix things up a little bit or I get really bored. I've also been really busy lately, and I have exams coming up really soon (again) so then in a few weeks for me, it's back to studying. All hell shall break loose. I'll try and juggle studying with writing though._

_We've already come to the end. I've grown so attached to writing this story already, and it hasn't even been that long at all. This chapter is going to be the one to end everything in a good way. I'm not planning to do a sequel or anything, but I don't know. It's not like I have space for one anyway, but yeah. This part is not as long as the others unfortunately, but it is still a great length of words, I think. _

_Well, everybody, thanks for the support and reviews and everything from the previous chapter! (: It's never taken me this long to say in notes in the beginning, but I just want to let you guys know that I really, really, really appreciate all the support (: I love you!_

_Now that that's done, let's get the party started. Enjoy the last chapter of Lullaby. (: _

_**DISCLAIMER: **__I don't own Kickin' It. I never will._

* * *

_A Second Chance_

* * *

"_Hey there. You've reached my voicemail. I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to take your call at the moment, but hey. Leave your name and number at the beep, and I'll make sure to get back to you. Thanks."_

"_Hey, Jack, It's Kim. I know the last thing you would want to hear is my voice right now, but it just didn't feel right to leave without saying goodbye … so goodbye. Send hugs to Iris and the rest for me. I love you. And just know, I really mean –"_

* * *

She'd thought about coming back many times, but she could hardly comprehend the amount of confusion she felt even when she had made her choice, which was to jump onto a plane and get back to Seaford as soon as she could. So many thoughts were running through her head as she was driving through the very familiar roads of her hometown, the place she didn't grow up in, even though she felt as if she'd been living there her whole life, just not knowing where to go or what to do first.

Kim had given up a lot just to be here for a week back in Seaford – she'd taken her upcoming exams early, she studied her butt off when she should have been enjoying her week off, but she found it no use at all since she had no family in England during Christmas, so what was the use? – And she was still confused? Everything was continuing to baffle her to such an extent.

She'd been in the bright and blue town for two days, even though it felt like less. She had been lying low for a little bit, not telling anyone about her whereabouts. She'd told her family, though, and had visited them the day before, catching them up on what they've missed and they were catching her up on what she was missing. The Crawfords had become close to the Andersons in her absence, and when Kim found out what today was, she'd forcefully let herself invite herself to the event that she couldn't miss.

When she got back to the guesthouse she was currently staying at, she made sure that she got relaxed and ready for the long stay ahead of her. She wasn't going to head back up to London with any regrets, and she was going to make sure of it.

Now look where she had found herself. She was in her rented white Mercedes, driving to the Anderson household to come in her regular cute little blouse and jeans, wearing Converse, because she knew she couldn't drive in heels to save her life. She was nervous about today that it was starting to eat her from inside, as what always happened when the blonde got nervous. She started dying from the inside of herself as well.

Today was a really big day for everybody. She couldn't believe how long she'd been gone. Today was Iris' birthday, and she was turning two years old. It hurt her enough that she wasn't here to attend her first. She couldn't miss another.

She was trying not to concentrate on what could happen – or what she knew would happen. She concentrated on the weather, and how it was too bright and too hot for the winter. The winters were only cold for just a few days, but then the weather would slowly evolve into its usual hot self. It was the end of January, so there were still clouds in the sky, but the rain had ended. The blonde wasn't used to it. London was a really cold place.

Kim's heart jumped when she saw the house that just brought her bad memories, the memories of the day that he found out. That Thanksgiving that turned everything around. It seems like yesterday it all happened. She saw the driveway of the house was full of unfamiliar cars, so she decided to park down the street. That would give her time to think of what she'd say once she got to the party. Maybe they had heard she was coming, and were all prepared for her, to ask her questions, to make her feel like going was the worst decision she'd ever made.

When she parked, the car coming to a complete halt, she took a few deep breaths, and looked in the mirror, checking her make-up, which wasn't a lot at all. She liked looking natural, but she needed make-up just to highlight her features a little bit more. "You can do this, Kim," she told herself, biting her lip. "You can really do this. It's not so hard talking to a bunch of people you left behind to pursue your dream, is it?" Before she would decide to start the car up and drive away, she opened the door, and got out, slamming the door shut behind her.

She started walking along the pavement, feeling the soft wind blowing her blonde locks out of her face. Her hair had become just a little bit darker, due to the lack of sun in England, but other than that, she hadn't really changed. She hoped she wasn't so different.

When she came to the door of the house, she could hear the music from inside, could hear people were talking really loudly, and laughing like nobody's business, and she swore she even heard splashing. Was the weather good enough to swim in, even? The smell of meat started entering her nostrils, and her stomach began to churn. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it was two in the afternoon.

She knew she couldn't knock on the door, so she rang the doorbell, hoping people would hear her over the loud music. She stood there at the doorstep, playing with her bracelets, waiting for someone to answer the door. She rang again, and almost instantly, she was greeted by a cheerful and recognizable face. Before she knew it, she was being attacked by arms, and they squeezed her tightly. Kim started laughing as the other girl that had hugged her was screaming happily.

"Oh my God!" She heard being screamed into her ear. She didn't mind though. They were jumping now, as if they were long lost sisters. When they parted, Kim was smiling a really big smile. Julie was beaming as well, looking the blonde up and down, her face beginning to glow even more. "You look amazing, oh my word!"

"Speak for yourself!" Kim said. She was so amazed at how Julie had changed over one year. It was like she'd grown; only she hadn't really. She looked really good, though. Her hair was put into a really cute messy bun, and she was in a really nice dress. She wasn't wearing her glasses anymore, and by her slight change in eye color, Kim could see she was wearing eye contacts. She looked really classy.

Julie took Kim's wrist and pulled her in, closing the door behind them both. Julie paused for a second, while Kim looked around at all the random people in lots of parts of the house, seeming to be having a really good time. She couldn't see anyone else but the girl in front of her she did know, however.

"There's something different about you though," Julie said, and then her eyes widened in realization. "I know! You straightened your hair. That's why it looks extra long. It looks nice like that." Kim just couldn't help but feel her ponytail, which was high on her head.

Kim nodded and grinned. "Yeah, I did. You look really great, though, Julie."

Julie put a hand over her heart. "Thank you. Come on, little one. Let's not hide. Everyone will be so happy to see you! It's been ages!"

Before Kim could explain to Julie that she didn't want to be overexposed, she was being dragged out into the bright backyard. Her suspicions from outside the door had been correct. There were people barbequing, swimming, and talking and drinking. She knew that the party was for Iris when she spotted a few youngsters, and pink plates filled with treats.

Julie whistled really loudly, which made a head turn in the pool. The guy still had his sunglasses on, even though his body was under the water. When he recognized who the standing maiden was, a smile grew on his face, and he was making his way out of the water very quickly. Jerry's swimming trunks were dripping wet, and he took a towel from the deck chair next to him, wrapping it around his waist.

When he was in front of Kim, she couldn't hide her smile. She'd missed everyone so dearly. The Latino was about to open his arms for a hug, but Julie put a restricting hand on his chest, wiping her now wet hand on her skirt. Jerry lifts his sunglasses to his forehead and said, "Oh my God, it's Kim Crawford."

She shrugged, flattered that she'd been missed at all. "Yeah, it's me alright."

"And damn, are you looking foxy," Jerry said. "Don't mind the buzz kill. Give Jerry a hug." Kim didn't have a choice, because before she could protest and point out she was wearing a new blouse, strong arms went around her. Before she knew it, she was being spun around, and she was laughing carelessly. "You are so grown up! Look at you."

When she was put back down onto earth, Julie had somebody by her side, and he was clinging onto her, his arms wrapped around her waist.

It was Milton. Kim felt as if she had missed so much.

Kim was looking weirdly at the couple. So _he_ had been the one to change her best friend. Maybe she would have to thank him for that. The ginger himself, on the other hand, was staring strangely at Kim back, as if she had a wart on her nose. When he realized who he was looking at, he too was giving the blonde a hug. She felt so overwhelmed by all the attention she was getting.

"Kim! You look beautiful," Milton said.

"Have you been working out, Milton? Because seriously seems like you have been," She choked out. She could tell. His arms felt a little more bulky than they had when she had left. He'd also got a hair cut, that Julie possibly put him up to. What guy liked getting his hair cut?

She could hear very familiar shouting coming from a distance, which brought an instant smile to her lips. She could only hear such attitude from far away. "Julie! Do you not see that blonde slut who his practically groping your boyfriend? If you don't give her a butt whooping, I will! And don't think I didn't see her with Jerry too!" Milton's arms had fallen from me as soon as Margaret's voice was shouting from across the yard.

Jerry's sunglasses had come back down to his eyes, and his hand reached down the back of his neck. "You're going freaking get married in the summer, and you are busy spinning around some trick like this is the circus! I can't wait to get Grace up in here, so she can see who she's up against. I'm bringing my shoe!"

Kim blinked at the Latino, and then shoved him playfully. "You're freaking getting _married_?" Now Kim's heart dropped into her stomach. She could see how much she'd missed, and she thought it was a lot, but for no one to tell her this until now? Kim felt as if she was a mile behind of everybody. It was one of the disadvantages about leaving everyone to be so far away. News can't catch up to you. "No way!"

"Yes way!" Julie said, jumping up and down. "We tried contacting you to invite you to the wedding. A friend of my dad's was heading up to London later next month and they were going to hunt you down."

Kim still couldn't believe her ears. "You're getting married?" She shrieked, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into another hug.

"I'm getting married, baby!" Jerry said really loudly, that a few people started looking, and Kim heard somebody even whistle, as if agreeing to this statement. Kim parted from Jerry, and turned around, seeing Margaret and Grace heading towards them. Jerry sighed, shaking his head. "Here we go."

Grace hadn't changed one bit. Her hair looked a little bit shorter though, and she saw it had been layered in such a way that didn't make it look that different at all. Her skin wasn't as tan as from when she last saw her. It had been winter after all, so everyone had become a little pale. Margaret, on the other hand, was looking as radiant as ever. She looked like she'd just walked off the club scene, dressed really nicely. The last time Kim had checked, she was more of a shirt and shorts type of girl.

The African-American girl approached Kim, a set scowl on her face, but it immediately faded when she saw who she had been ready to kill, and the feeling went away when she saw that the "blonde trick" who had been hugging the two men before her. "Kimberly Crawford," Margaret got hold of the blonde's cheeks. Grace, who was next to her, gasped in surprise. "Is it seriously you?"

"It's seriously me," Kim squealed, and pulled her girls in for a group hug, hugging them tightly. She thought that she was going to cry she was so happy. It was so great seeing everybody again. A year was a really long time. When she pulled away from them, Kim's attention turned to Grace. "You are getting married?"

Grace's left hand shot up, showing a glowing red garnet on her finger. Kim was seriously blown away by the state of it. She couldn't imagine Jerry getting down on one knee and slipping the band onto her finger. She would have expected him to get her a ring made of liquorish. "I'm getting married!" Grace squeaked, and the girls all started jumping up and down in excitement.

In just a few minutes, all of them were able to catch up a year's worth of bonding. Kim felt so much better about her decision in coming to the party in the first place. She couldn't believe she had hesitated coming at all. It made her happy seeing everyone had moved on and just grown up. She was upset that they had grown up without her, though. Everything seemed so different – even the house itself. Grace and Jerry were going to be married in the summer, Julie and Milton were together, and Margaret and Eddie were seemingly getting it on.

She'd gotten to re-befriend all of them again, and they stood there, having a wide ranged conversation of everything that had happened with each other. Kim had explained to the gang about her experience in London, and how much good responses her writing was getting. She'd written a book, and her professor was taking a look at it, and she felt that if he liked it, it was good enough to publish. The group was very proud of her and how far she'd come. She was proud of them as well, because they were also climbing up the success ladder.

Milton was going into Science, as he'd expected his whole life. Julie, on the other hand, was going to open her own law practice after she was done with law school. Jerry was a dancing instructor full time at a studio, which was north of Seaford, while Grace had dropped out of the whole idea of being a doctor, and decided that maybe it was time for a change, and now she was studying some teaching. Margaret was a hairstylist, and she was going to open her own hair salon after a year, and according to everybody, Eddie was into construction.

Everyone had been lying off the subject for a little bit, but Margaret, not nervous to break the barrier at all, was the first one to bring it up. "Okay, let's stop pretending we don't know one of the real reasons Kim's actually here for." Kim swallowed, a lump developing in her throat.

"Margaret, let's just lay off," Julie said in a small voice.

Margaret shrugged, her hands on her hips now, looking at Julie in a weird way, like she was annoyed, but at the same time, she was being playful. Her ghetto attitude seemed to activate. "Honey, what if Jack were to walk through those doors right now? Then we'd all have to eventually get onto the subject. I think it's better she fins him now and approaches him nicely than him seeing her out here and then hell just blows up all over the place."

_Jack. _

She had been avoiding speaking of him for some time. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever though. They had so much history, history that couldn't be ignored. She felt her heart skip a lot of beats when even something as simple as his name was brought up. Now she wondered about Iris, and how she had grown up too. She couldn't wait to see her.

Margaret was right. She did need to find him before he found her. He'd blow everything out of proportion. She needed to apologize first, because she needed to.

"You're over …" Milton was about to say, but then Margaret just flat out cut him off.

"I'm over nothing, Milton," Margaret said, her head snapping at him. She switched her weight over to her next hip. "Jack's going to come right out that door this minute and World War IIII is going to start up in here. World War III already happened, from what I heard about that Thanksgiving." Kim's stomach flipped over inside of her, that she had to support it a little by placing a light hand over her diaphragm. "That's how Jack described it. It seemed to murder him, the fact that she was leaving. You don't know what it feels like, Milton, so don't even … Just shut up."

Kim had never felt the stronger need to speak to Jack than right now. She didn't even say that she was going to leave. She didn't have time. Before she could even compose herself, she was sprinting away from her friends, ready to find the face she'd betrayed and left behind. She stopped to ask a few people if they'd seen him, but nobody gave her the answer she wanted: where he _really_ was.

She couldn't see her family anywhere – maybe they had gone home already, since she had appeared pretty late, or maybe they hadn't even arrived yet as well – but she ignored that. She wasn't looking for her family. She was looking for Jack, and surely wherever he was, Iris was.

When she found him, she stopped dead on her tracks, her heart stopping as well. She looked at him up and down, her tongue tying up in her mouth. She had no words at all. She couldn't think of what to say, and even if she could, she didn't think that she would be able to say anything at all. He was in the dining room, putting the big lady bug cake he had prepared onto the table, which was clothed with pink. He couldn't recognize her, because his head was down, and he was busy adjusting the placement of all the sweets and food.

The blonde thought that maybe she'd forgotten how good-looking he was, because how he looked came as such a shock. He was looking really chilled out and really relaxed for a party. He was wearing a beanie that she'd never seen before, but because of his new haircut that he seemed to have, it looked even better now on his head. He looked a little mature though. Something about him had changed, even if it was just one tiny little detail. Iris wasn't with him though, and she had been nervous to go upstairs, where she most probably was.

"I'm guessing the cake's chocolate," Kim said after catching her breath. "Iris has always loved it."

When Jack looked up from his position, he would have never guessed to see Kim standing in front of him, a bit nervous-looking. She was observing the way he reacted to her being here, and his features seemed to falter slightly to a more surprised look. She couldn't tell if he was angry or pleased. He cleared his throat, looking at the floor and then looking back up at Kim, as if he couldn't believe it.

He shoved his hands into his pockets uncomfortably. "Kim. You're here." Kim nodded, afraid to say anything else. They just had a moment looking at each other, checking themselves out, seeing the differences, seeing what still remained the same. There were so-so differences about them that they recognized and they saw how much a year could just transform somebody into someone else. It was like they hadn't seen each other in forever, like looking at the ghost of somebody you had lost. It sure felt like it. Kim bit on her lip, not liking the eye contact between her and Jack very much.

"Yeah, I'm here," Kim said, trying to plaster a smile onto her face. "Only for a bit, though. I thought that the one time I could, I'd drop in and just say hello to everyone."

Jack nodded slightly. "Cool." After a hovering silence, Jack broke it. "How's the UK? I don't hear much of a difference in your voice. It's definitely changed you a little though. The last time I saw you, I'd never to have thought you could wear something like this." Jack chuckled at her footwear. The blonde looked down and remembered she was wearing her Converse. "Yeah, you're Kim alright."

"You look great," Kim said, gesturing toward him. _Really, really great,_ Kim couldn't help but just think to herself. The awkwardness returned, and the silence seemed to loud for Kim to take. She looked at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Jack, meanwhile he was doing the same. It seemed a little intense in the room. "Look," Kim whipped her head up, not wanting to hide what she was really here to talk to the brunet about. "I don't like this atmosphere between us. I want us to just fresh start and get over everything from last year." The blonde hadn't chosen her choice of words clearly, but because she knew Jack way too well for her own good, what he said next didn't really surprise her.

"Get over last year?" Jack said like he couldn't believe what she was saying. The brunet let out a hard and cold chuckle intentionally, and Kim's heart flipped over, recognizing her big mistake – or his. "Kim, I don't know if you came here to just wreck everything and screw everything up for us even further, but I'm not doing this. Not here, not now, not ever."

Before the blonde writer could respond, Jack was out the room.

Kim wasn't going to leave without apologizing properly. She marched after him, and saw that he was about to venture his way up the stairs. She grabbed his wrist before he could even make the first step though.

"I came all this way for you, you know!" Kim snapped, not being able to keep full control of herself anymore. She wasn't that upset, she was _angry_ that Jack wouldn't just listen to her. He never does and he never has. "You're going to stand and listen!" Jack turned around, his eyes burning hard into hers. She remembers those eyes – they were the same eyes that looked at her with such hatred that fateful Thanksgiving. "Stop twisting my words!" Kim said before Jack could say anything at all. "Just please," Kim took a small pause and inhaled deeply, collecting herself. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

"Uh huh?" Jack said, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Just like you didn't mean to make a commitment you knew you couldn't keep? Like how you didn't mean to string me along? Like you didn't mean to just leave me here, freaking hopeless without you? I'm not in the mood for mind games, Kim."

Kim's eyes widened in a bit of surprise. "What mind games? You think I was just pretending with you guys?"

"No," Jack said. "You were never pretending with Iris. You were pretending with me. You even said so!"

"Don't you go putting words into my mouth, Jack, because I never said that!"

"I assumed so because you didn't deny it!"

"Because you didn't listen to me! You never listen to me! It was always me who listened to you, and when I needed it in return, it never came!" Jack kept quiet for a moment, his eyes not looking so angry anymore. They were soft now, and the tension in is arms seemed to fade away by the second. When Kim saw him calming down, she immediately calmed down too. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to raise my voice like that."

Jack narrowed his eyes at her, but not in a rude way at all. It was as if he were trying to make out a detail about her that he hadn't realized before. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty? It's not working if you are because I know I tried. I tried being there for you. I tried comforting you like you did me. Whenever I tried just getting something out from you, you'd dodge my sympathy."

Kim's stomach dropped.

_Don't try to reject sympathy._

She nearly kicked herself.

"I was being hypocritical, hiding my side, not trying to open up to you," Kim said, getting it. "Which added more to the equation why you thought I was playing you." Jack nodded his head, and sighed. Kim put her hand on his forearm, Jack's reaction him untangling them in order for his hand to wrap around Kim's. "I'm sorry, okay? That's all I wanted to say."

"For which part?" Jack said, looking down at their fingers weaved together.

Kim bit her lip nervously. "I don't regret leaving at all, really. I just really regret that I hurt you so badly, and that you were left to pick up the pieces of the mess I left. I'm sorry that you were affected so badly in all of this and that you thought I was pretending the whole time. I just want you to know that I wasn't, Jack. The promises may have been really botched," Kim laughed dryly to refrain from crying, "But when I said that I loved you, I meant it."

Jack looked up from their hands and at Kim. "I'm relieved."

Out of nowhere, shattering the serious atmosphere to pieces, Kim broke out into nervous laughter, and only then her tears started falling. Jack broke into a smile, bringing his free hand up to Kim's cheek. Her laughing came to a sudden stop, her skin starting to feel electric, and her heart pounding like bongos in her chest. Jack's thumb wiped Kim's tears away slowly, her breathing becoming slightly hitched. "I'm sorry too."

"It's a shame we're not fighting anymore," Kim thought to herself out loud. "Because you're very attractive when you're mad."

"I am, aren't I?" Jack smirked, and brought their wrapped hands to his lips, kissing Kim's softly. "I need to show you something."

"Show me something," Kim said, a smile plastered onto her face - but this time, it was genuine. She was happy right now. Her arms was then quickly being tugged up the stairs, her feet hardly being able to keep up with Jack's jumping legs. She'd never been on the top level of Jack's insanely really big Victorian vista so when she saw it, she was quite amazed by the posh set up.

Not surprised though. Not surprised indeed.

Jack led Kim to a door and when they were standing in front of it, he put his free finger against his lips. "Can you believe her?" Jack whispered softly. "Falling asleep in the middle of her own party? Not a good sign, is it?"

Kim's stomach nearly split into half. Was he talking about Iris? Kim wasn't sure she wanted to see her as badly as she had when she first drove here. She was nervous and scared that she'd changed too much. The blonde had never been such a fan of change, but she had no choice but to put up with the damage it caused.

The door creaked open, and soon Kim's eyes met with the color of yellow. The ceiling was yellow as well, and she could spot Christmas lights on the roof, also a few drifted painted clouds that covered up ever inch of the room. Then she saw a painting that looked somewhat childish. It was probably something Iris had painted. Everything seemed so different. The toys, the equipment, and now instead of a crib (like Kim had expected to see) was a single bed stuffed in the corner of the room, a breathing lump situated underneath the covers of the bed. She could make out brown curls and a socked foot both peaking out.

"We're trying to get her into the habit of sleeping in an actual bed and since, you know, this used to be a guest room and everything, we thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to start the whole habit here." Kim walked slowly into the room, her hand slowly slipping out of Jack's as he started across the room. Kim was looking around at all of the pictures on the wall, the scribbles she could see that had tried to be washed off, but they were still noticeable. What really caught Kim's attention, though, was the writing that had been painted onto the wall.

_You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be. _

She smiled to herself and turned around, seeing Jack start to take up little (or big) Iris into his arms. She walked slowly towards the two, and heard the little kid start to say something. "No. Down." Kim could feel her eyes start to water already, but she didn't want to look like a clown seeing this child again for the first time in a year.

"Someone's here to see you," Jack said, sitting on her bed, forcing her into a seated position onto his lap, while she rub her eyes violently with her little pink fist. When Kim saw how much Iris had grown, she had to take a deep breath.

Her hair was way longer than it had been the last time she had seen the little girl. It was nearly to her neck, but was obviously longer straight, since her hair was knotted in curls. Her eyes were still big and green like the last time, though, and had the same forever smiling kind of spark. The birthmark was still on her cheek, and her skin itself wasn't as pale as it had been. Iris had inherited her height from her father's side, and seemed a little too long for a girl here age.

It didn't matter though. She looked well, and she looked happy. Then when she laid eyes on Kim, she looked confused, as if she were thinking. "This is Kim," Jack said in a soft and childish voice, pointing at the blonde who was nearly in tears. "Do you remember her? She was the guardian angel that saved us." Jack chuckled when Iris started eating her hair. He looked up at Kim and said, "Her mom always used to chew her hair when she was thinking."

Kim didn't know what to say. She was speechless.

"Mom," Iris said, repeating after Jack. "Mommy?"

"Exactly," Jack said. He looked down at Iris' hand and his eyes widened. "Holy shit. What happened to your hand?"

Kim now knew exactly what to say after she gasped. "Jack! Language!"

"Holly sit," Iris repeated.

"She's like a freaking parrot," Jack said, getting up and settling Iris onto the bed. He looked back at his daughter, shaking his head in dismay. Iris started laughing, as if she was up to something, which made Kim grin. "I'm going to go get a plaster for her. She must have scratched herself. Her nails grow too fast. I could have sworn I clipped them a few days ago." Kim laughed but when Jack was out the door, the laughter stopped.

She was stuck to bond with Iris.

She slowly sat next to the little girl, looking at her profile. She was going to be quite the beauty queen when she was older, Kim could already see. Iris looked back up at Kim, a smile starting to form on her face.

"You're so pretty, you know that?" Kim told the little one.

Iris gave Kim a not-too-toothy smile, the blonde then smiling with her. "So pretty." She didn't say the words properly, as they came out as so pwee-tee, but Kim could understand her perfectly. She had a lot of cousins back in Tennessee, and it was only just recently her grandmother had stopped reproducing. As you can guess, Kim has quite the family.

Kim couldn't help it anymore. Nobody was here to watch her except for the little one. She burst into tears – the really bad kind, when she was crying so much she was starting to sob. She wasn't sad though. She was happy. Unexpectedly, Iris wrapped her arms around Kim's sides and squeezed tightly. It only caused Kim to sob some more, stroking her curls, memories flooding back. "Mom, don't cry." The falling of the tears had become uncontrollable, and her shoulders were shaking helplessly.

Kim knew exactly why she was crying. When she looked at Iris, she thought of last year, the past, and how much she felt like she was really there with her through it all. She felt like _she_ was the one who was the mother of Iris. To her, it didn't matter where or from who the baby had come from. Either way, she felt like she was the mother of this child, and just leaving her behind broke her heart. It reminded her about how her mother had left her.

Kim wanted to be a good mother just as she had. She wanted to be there for every ballet recital, for every first day of school, for every sports day – she didn't want to miss a thing. She didn't want to miss out as much as her mother did. She wasn't there to comfort her through heartbreak, for the bad grades, the bitchy friends. Twelve years old isn't the age any girl expects to lose her mother. And neither is three years old. Kim had come back to reality, however, and realized how naïve she was being.

She left. She can't just come back and expect everything to be the same. Things had changed – and they had a hell load. If only she'd thought like this a year ago, when the damage hadn't occurred yet. But now it was done, and the decision was final. Kim chose England. She had to stick with it. She made a commitment.

"Kim," the blonde's head flicked up and she saw Jack standing in the doorway, her eyes hardly even seeing him though because they were full of tears. She blinked them away and covered her eyes with her hand as if it would make it all go away. "

Kim attempted to giggle, but it turned out to sound like a scoff. "Oh, Jack. Sorry. Iris scratched my eye and I'm just starting to tear up a little bit." Kim sniffled, but when she looked back at Iris, she started sobbing some more, and her eyes met with darkness, which was made with her hands. "I'm such a bad person."

Almost instantly after she had choked out the words, she felt a comforting hand rest on her wrist, and it wrapped around hers, attempting to softly pull her hand away from her face. "Kim, you're not a bad person." Jack tried pulling her hand away gently again, but his grip was becoming a little firm now, as if he were being serious. "Kim, please look at me." Kim sighed shakily and lowered her hands from her face, her eyes bloodshot, her cheeks puffy, and her nose turning a shade of pink. Jack sighed, picking up Iris from his side, sitting down next to her and placing the little kid on his lap.

Jack inhaled a deep breath before looking up into Kim's eyes as she was trying to wipe her tears away. "You are simply just amazing. You know that, right? You did what no other girls had the guts to do, and that was being a mother. You didn't ask for any of this, you just went with the flow and you gradually adjusted. And you stayed."

"Then I left," Kim said shakily. She paused for a second, opening and closing her mouth like a fish, trying to figure out what to say. She knew, but she didn't know how to put it. She decided that she should just speak her mind. "And I broke your heart. I left everything that we'd built together, and I broke this family of ours apart. All for my own selfish reasons. I was being a really bad mother."

"You need to move on with your life, Kim," Jack said, his hand resting over hers. "I was holding you down from everything, and I realized that when you left. I shouldn't have become so angry because it wasn't you fault. Writing is your passion, Kim. I shouldn't be keeping you from doing what you love."

"I promised, Jack," Kim said and then there was a long silence. Jack was continuously gulping, Iris silent and staring at the two from his lap. "I made a promise and I broke it. I left. And I'm finally figuring out why I am such a bad person. I promised you something and broke it – a promise you once made with Donna too. But the difference between us is she couldn't help the fact that she left, but I left by choice."

"Kim …"

"Kim nothing," The girl refused to let Jack say any more, or even look into those eyes of his. Any one of them could just lure her back in. She stood up from the bed. "I made my choice, and I have to stick to it." Then, just like that, she was marching out.

Jack sprung to action, shooting up from the bed too, marching behind her. He called her name several times until they reached the bottom of the staircase. "Kim!"

Kim stopped, whipping around her blonde locks and meeting Jack face to face once again. She bit on her lip to be strong. She knew that this was goodbye right then and there. She was going to go and she wouldn't be back for a long time. She had the really sudden urge to just kiss him. Whenever she kissed Jack, all of her problems always melted away. Was this problem too big though? She'd never know, though. She couldn't kiss Jack and run away. That would complicate things.

Not that things weren't already.

"I just came to say I'm sorry," Kim said, choking on the breath she was trying to take in. Her heart was beating fast. She needed to get the truth off of her chest. She had to tell him before she went. "Jack. I still love you, okay? I haven't been able to get over you at all." Her voice was shaking, and Jack was looking at her with some kind of _pity_ - which Kim hated. Her blood was bubbling and boiling, but she couldn't stay mad at him. "But I'm going to have to. And I will. I can't – we can't – I made a decision, and that was going to London and starting over. And that's not possible if you're still here holding me down, so … I also came to say goodbye to you. To us and for good, even though we did a year ago, I still feel like there's been this kind of connection between us."

Jack looked like he was desperate to say something, as if his heart had been crushed to pieces, making Kim's heart tear. His Adam's apple was bobbing up and down continuously, while Kim just kept quiet, looking at him. She was waiting for him to say something, but he never did.

The blonde took a deep breath in and sighed, releasing it. "Goodbye, Jack." The words were breaking her from the inside, and she was only able to cry once she was long out the door of the Anderson household, after she'd passed the loads of bare trees and the booming loud music was starting to fade. She was only able to burst into tears in the privacy of her own car. She thinks for hours she just sat in the car, sobbing until there were no more tears to shed.

She was back to square one: feeling guilty for leaving her loved ones behind.

* * *

"You dumbass!" Jerry shouted at Jack from across his uptown apartment. Unlike Jack's, it wasn't directly next to the beach and was on the busier side of Seaford. The apartment had its own Jerry touch, but because he had to share the place with his fiancé, Grace had kind of added her own touch to the apartment too. Other than those details, it was a regular, small and cozy place that seemed just perfect for them.

Jerry was busy sitting on the couch, shouting at Jack for his stupidity. The father was sitting on the counter of the kitchen, Iris sitting on his lap, playing and seeming very entertained by her fingers. Jack was groaning with every word that Jerry was saying, because he was telling the truth. "How in the hell do you just let her get away a second time? You have to talk to her before she goes!"

"I am, chill," Jack said, sighing, wanting to rub his forehead in distress but because of the infant on his lap, the action couldn't be done. "I was actually planning to drop by and just tell her how I feel. I saw her yesterday, but I feel like I haven't seen her in forever."

"And what are you going to say to her? 'Kim, I need you to come back. I haven't had sex in, like, a year?'" Jack widened his eyes at Jerry in both disgust, surprise and he looked a tad bit humiliated. "Dude, how in the heck do you cope?"

"You know that I've tried getting over her," Jack said, not too loud though, as if the subject was embarrassing him slightly. "And I guess I've had a little fun," he shrugged as if to say _I'm just a guy, cut me some slack._ "But it wasn't like what Kim and I had. It wasn't ever that serious. None of these girls had what she did – and what Kim had was one in a million, I think. I don't even think, I know."

Jerry scoffed. "And how many times in your life do you think you'll ever say that again, bro? That a girl's one in a million?" Jerry looked at his best friend now, and he felt a smile grow upon his lips seeing Jack's face beginning to wonder, because they both knew that the girl was one in a million. Jack and Kim were perfect for each other and they both knew it.

Jerry doesn't remember the last time his friend had it this bad for a girl. The last time had been Donna, he presumes. They'd been friends forever the two of the guys, through thick and thin. They'd had their share of fights, their greater share of laughs and because of that, they knew each other like the back of their hand. It was like they were brothers, or just really good mind readers. Jack had been crushed when Donna passed, and he didn't expect for Jack to find another girl so quickly, because he was _that_ kind of guy. It just happened, Jerry thinks.

It happened a little earlier than anyone could have expected, but the time they'd spent together had proved that they were a match made in heaven – maybe even more than Donna and Jack. Kim had this light upon the musician that was positive, and whenever she was around, he was just the best he could be. She may have screwed up big time, but before that, you could have sworn they were soul mates. Who are they kidding? They _are_ soul mates.

It's been a year and Jack still wasn't properly over her.

It took him nearly half a year for him to move onto Kim. Why couldn't he move on as quickly as he did the last time?

Jack groaned out loud. "I don't think I ever will. Jerry, I can't let her leave me again. I have to get her to stay."

"Then why don't you get off of your lazy ass right now and go hunt her down?" Jerry raised an eyebrow, having the urge to throw a pillow at his friend. And people thought he was the stupid one. "Stop whining, man. Go get your girl before it's too late. ."

Jack smiled a toothy smile, and nodded to himself, like he was starting to agree with Jerry. This was also one in a million. The Latino was making some kind of sense, which was really rare, considering it was _Jerr_y. "You know what? I will." Jack jumped off carefully off the counter, Iris still in his arms. He looked at his daughter for a few seconds before he heard the door of the apartment open from his far left. When he saw Grace coming through the door, he sprung into action.

Jerry's eyes narrowed at the brunet, who was eyeing his fiancé, who was currently closing and locking the door behind her. "Hello. How are my two favorite boys?" Jerry realized there was something wrong. Grace sounded as if she'd been crying. He'd learnt that through their emotion roller coaster, which they called their relationship. When the brunette turned from the door, her long brown ponytail swung violently as she quickly wiped her eyes cautiously with her index.

"What's wrong, babe?" Jerry said, sounding very concerned.

"Oh, don't mind me," Grace said, sniffling and sighing heavily. "I'm just feeling pretty emotional. It's Kim. I just took Kim to the airport and all the girls were crying because she's not going to be back for such a long time, it's unbelievable. We could hardly bare the year without her and now we're forced to spend another two."

There was a hover silence over the room until Jerry turned his head to his friend. His mouth was wide open, his skin having gone pale. He looked as if he was about to collapse and die. Grace realized this too, and nearly cursed to herself aloud for saying it so indelicately.

Jack shook his head, and suddenly everything was just in motion, going so fast and so quickly. "I'm not going to let her do this again."

Before anybody could even realize what was happening, Iris was in the arms of Grace and Jack had played with the keys of the couple's apartment quickly enough for him to be out of there in a dash, marching, out of their sight. Jerry was about to run after him and offer to help, but this was a quest he had to complete on his own, they both felt.

Grace looked down at Iris, and then back up at her husband-to-be. Her confusion died down and then her features starting glowing, a certain glow Jerry hadn't seen in quite some time. Then she smiled, laughing to herself. "Isn't it just the most cutest thing you've ever seen?"

Jerry gave his girl a cheeky grin, making her smile become a little more lopsided, as if she were about to burst into laughter just because of the look on his face. "You know I'd totally do that for you, right?" The brunette now burst into a fit of giggles, Iris laughing with them too, even though she couldn't possibly make out half of the words they were saying. Jerry's features became a little more serious. "I hope the dude gets there in time, though. They both need each other – and I hope fate thinks so too."

Today, though, it wasn't up to fate at all.

It was up to Jack.

He had to clean up this mess before it happened altogether.

* * *

"Could I please have a ticket for the next flight to Heathrow Airport?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but the plane is just about to board. I'm afraid I'm unauthorized to give you a ticket at this point."

"You don't understand. I really need to get in there to see someone. If I don't, I just don't know what I'd do. I'm begging you. Please."

"Well, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."

"… Have you ever been in love, ma'am?"

* * *

Now all that was left to do was run. And that's what Jack had done – ran. The second that he was given his ticket by the woman he had recently confided in and maybe even properly met called Mary, had allowed him to move on to security check, he didn't hesitate at all. He had no time for any of it. He just had to get to Kim. When Jack got there, his heart sunk. The line for international flights was unusually too long for his liking, and he was not in the mood to wait for anything today.

Jack's foot was tapping as he was trying to just decide what to do and how he should do it. Then he just thought screw it. He was running after his girl, and he needed this. He started sprinting through the sea of people in line, excusing himself for colliding with others, even though he didn't really care. He hardly did of anything right that second. There was only one thing had did care about at that moment.

When he'd reached the front, he starting striping down of all his things that needed to go through to security check. His shoes, his hoodie and even the bracelet he'd scored a few years ago at a surf shop that was temporarily open at the pier down at Dolphin Beach. When he had dug his cellphone out from the pocket of his jeans, he put it in the basket that was supposed to go through the X-ray machine. When Jack heard complaining coming from behind him, he quickly apologized, but then he ran through the metal detector.

When no ringing was heard (even though he would have still continued running if ringing was actually heard), he didn't get his stuff back. He didn't need them. There was always coming back. If Jack however, missed his chance with Kim right now, it would be all over. He would have lost her.

Do you know how much changed in the one year they spent apart? And for that kind of change to occur _twice_? Jack couldn't even bear the thought.

His socks were making the run to freedom even more dragging and a little more difficult but he got through it. He silently thanked God for his really good balance. When he'd gotten to the boarding gate (which had been announced through the intercom for three times in the last seven minutes), he came to an abrupt stop. He handed his ticket out to the officer who was checking them. She was a really built woman that looked like she was ready to kill something. The brunet who was helplessly running after the love of his life hadn't come all this way to be eaten.

The woman called Janine took his ticket a little too violently for his taste and stared at it, her eyes scanning every single detail. The line had depleted by the time Jack made it, so he was praying to God that he wasn't too late. His heart was beating faster than ever, his feet moving nervously. Janine seemed to recognize this and looked up at Jack, her one eyebrow crawling up. Then her head creased and Jack gulped.

Janine sighed and Jack knew what was coming next. He was getting ready to drop down onto his knees and beg.

* * *

Kim wasn't hesitant to get comfortable in her seat, snuggling into her neck pillow, but then she remembered she had to get to novel out. The blonde had an unknown talent of never getting airsick, carsick or seasick as long as she was reading. It just seemed to sooth her through the worst.

The ride to the airport had been a memorable one. Grace, Julie and Margaret all drove up here with her, singing their old favorite songs in the car at the top of their lungs, bringing up old and funny moments, catching up on gossip which they had forgotten to mention on their many nights out together and Margaret admitted to having a little bit of feelings towards Eddie, which wasn't a surprise to anyone. Their flirtation thing had been going on for too long, so the African-American made a promise to Kim – by the time she got back, they will be or would have dated and given each other a chance. Kim was also invited to be a bridesmaid at Grace's wedding during the summer, so Kim had a reason to come back.

Everyone was crying when saying their goodbyes, and when Kim parted from her friends, another part of her broke inside. When she had finally got started with this writing thing, she was going to be sure to be on the earliest flight back to her home. Everything she loved was down here, and it killed her when things changed without her. She hated change itself.

Kim continued to dig in her bag at her feet for her novel, her bangs starting to disrupt her vision a little. She couldn't find the book, and she gulped. How had she remembered a bookmark and not the book itself? She groaned out loud, irritated. When she spotted the book right at the bottom of her bag, she was relieved, and reached her arm inside, getting the novel out of her bag and resting it onto her lap, straightening back up.

She put the earphones that were hanging around her neck back into her ears, The Middle East starting to play soft and soundly in her ears. After that, she started reading the first page, already becoming hook and excited for the story ahead of her. She knew she could get this book finished three hours tops. She read even faster when she was bored.

When she felt a tap on her shoulder to her right, the person next to her was saying something she couldn't quite recall, so she pulled the headphones out. The woman with the ginger hair, pudgy and wore thick glasses smiled at her. She pointed to Kim's other side. "There's a young lad here for you, sweetie," her British accent said.

When Kim turned her head, her heart nearly jumped out of her throat, but at the same time, the butterflies in her stomach were awakened and began to fly all over the place. She couldn't help but gasp out loud and put her hand against her chest, trying to calm herself.

"Jack!"

There he was, standing before Kim, his chest heaving as if he'd just run a marathon. He felt as if he had, though. His fingers ran through his hair, and he was licking his lips continuously. Kim couldn't help but unclip her seatbelt and stand up. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?" Kim said, a little shrilled. Jack could only understand. He kind of ambushed her. "Are you trying to prove a point?"

"Kim," Jack said a little breathlessly. "I freaking ran to make sure I got here before you left. I bought a plane ticket and I ran." Kim's eyes widened in disbelief of this story, but when she looked down and realized he was wearing no shoes, the story became a little more believable. Jack was about to continue, but he had to let out a puff of air first. "I can't breathe," he chuckled nervously.

Kim blinked. "Jack, what are you doing?"

"I'm not letting you go again, Kim!" Jack said, loudly enough for people to start looking. The seatbelt signs blinked on, and the captain started speaking through the loudspeaker, but Kim couldn't focus on what he was saying. All she could focus of was Jack and the fact that he went through so much just to tell her that. Her heart warmed up, but then again, she couldn't believe he had been so stupid.

Kim sighed after the captain had spoken. "Jack. We've both got to move on. If we don't, we'll be playing this endless game, and it'll only end in tears."

"So you're going to just stand here and lie to my face, telling me that we never had anything worth fighting for and that we both don't still have feelings for each other at all?" Kim surprised herself when she choked. She couldn't lie straight to his face, especially when his eyes were busy stabbing into her soul – and it didn't help that there were people watching now. So she looked at the ground, not saying at word. Jack scoffed. "I guess I'm speaking the truth, aren't I?"

They were interrupted by a petite flight attendant. A smile was plastered onto her face as a hand rested on both Jack and Kim's shoulders. In her polite and slightly robotic voice, she said, "Excuse me, but we cannot move the aircraft until you two have been seated. Please make your way back to your assigned seats."

"Just a second, Aria," Jack said, clearly to have read the name on the clipped in tag on her blouse. "Can you wait a second?" Kim flushed, but no one could see her embarrassed face behind her bangs. She didn't want to hold people up, but knowing Jack, he was never going to let this one slide.

"I'm sorry sir, but if the action is not made, we'd be forced to remove you from the aircraft completely," Aria said, her voice normal, her smile cracking, and her face becoming a little more pained. She seemed irritated already. "Now could you please …"

Jack cut the short brunette off by ignoring her. He looked back at Kim. "I love you, Kim. I can't bare the thought of you freaking going away again. Life was hell without you, you know that right? Everything just turned upside down and I thought that I'd lost you forever and that because I was a complete and utter douche, making everything seem like it was all your fault even though it wasn't, I thought I'd never get a second shot. I was trying and trying to get over you, and just when I thought maybe I would be, you came back and I was given that second chance. You came back and you _apologized_. And I could tell by the way my heart beat when I was with you the other day that none of my feelings had ever gone. I'm still helplessly in love with you, Kim Crawford."

Aria had come to a point where she had given up on removing Jack, but let it slide because she was enjoying the show and everyone else seemed to as well. Kim's head was still down, but her heart started to ache as Jack was telling her these words.

"I wasn't going to let you go again," Jack continued after swallowing. "The angel that helped me through it all came back into my life, you know. You still are my angel and you'll always be. You're one of a kind. I don't know why it's taken me a year to figure out that you're the love of my life, Kim, and that when I'm with you, everything's okay." Jack rolled his eyes now at Kim, blinking. "Please look at me. I'm tired of having a conversation with your head."

Kim looked up, her eyes happy and her smile a little sad. There were tears starting to fill her brown eyes, and she could feel a tear fall down her right cheek, and then she giggled, because she was so happy that he was here, and that he was saying this. Jack smiled when he saw the blonde looking at him. "I still love you too. You don't know how badly I want to be with you and go back to the way things were before but I can't do that because I have a life elsewhere." She was sobbing now, but she didn't know if they were happy or sad. Maybe a mix of both?

Jack's hands cupped Kim's face gently, and with his thumbs, he wiped away all of her tears. She smiled, and he was just about to kiss her and maybe even abort his mission. A sudden idea came into mind, an idea that was too crazy, too risky and far too petrifying. He was going to take the chance though, and he knew that he'd meant every single word of what he had just said.

"Marry me."

People in the background were really surprised at the proposal, gasping, squealing and smiling. Kim froze, everything around her stopping. It took her a few seconds to process properly what Jack had said. "Pardon?"

"It's pretty spontaneous," Jack said, his eyes burning into Kim's and his stomach rolling. "And maybe even downright retarded, but Kim … I love you, and I always will and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to stay here with me and be a mother to Iris, I want you to stay here and hold my hand through all the bad days, I want you to stay here so I can tell you how beautiful you look in the morning even though you think you don't. I just want you forever. It doesn't have to be now, it doesn't have to be ever actually, but as long as I know for sure that I'll be spending the rest of my life with you, I don't give a damn. Please just marry me."

There was a silence, and it was beginning to become heavier. Everybody was waiting on Kim's response. All eyes were on the blonde now, whose face was still bewildered, still shocked, still frozen. Jack was beginning to become a little worried that he'd made the wrong choice in voicing out his thoughts.

Then Kim voiced out hers.

"You're horrible, you know that?" Kim said, taking Jack aback. Her face was starting to fall a little bit. "You are a word twister that plays games with people's hearts. You're really screwed up." The silence dragged on, people disappointed with the result. Everyone expected Kim to storm off, to go back to her seat, to slap Jack in the fact.

But then Kim smiled, giving Jack the smallest ounce of hope. "But at the same time, you manage to overcome all of that. You're sweet, charming, _attractive_, smart, fun-loving and really outgoing. You're the whole package. You may have faults, but everybody does. None of us are perfect and I know that now. We all make mistakes, but I think the biggest one I ever made was leaving you. And I'm not going to do it again. I'm going to stay … and marry you."

Jack grinned the biggest grin you could ever imagine. "Are you serious? I thought you would never forgive me or think that it was too sudden and too serious or –"

"You talk too much, Jack," Kim said, cutting him off, and then doing the thing she had been dying to do ever since she stepped foot back into Seaford. She pressed her lips against his, kissing him, and then he instantly returned the affection. Everybody around them burst into happiness, clapping and cheering. They couldn't hear them at all though. In this moment, right now, all they had was each other. None of them ever wanted to let each other go and they knew it now.

They'd both taken chances.

Chances which changed everything, but for the better, because after that, everything was perfect.

Kim had her book published and got to still say in Seaford and marry the love of her life. Jack, on the other hand, got together a band that had landed a record deal by the end of that year. Jerry and Grace were happily wed by the end of the summer, Jack being Jerry's best man, and they both decided to migrate to New York for better opportunities. Eddie and Margaret did get together eventually, and although the relationship was taking some time, Eddie was planning to make the big proposal on New Year's Eve, when the whole group was reunited. Milton opened up his own medical practice and Julie settled in with him, offering to be his receptionist, doing all of this together.

Iris? Well, she got the mother she'd always wanted, or the only mother she currently had. She didn't lose any connection to her original one, however, because the family decided that one Sunday of every mother, they'd go and visit Donna. Jack wanted her to be a part of her child's life.

In the end, all the pain, all the tribulations, they were all worth it.

Everything had began with an angel and then ended with a lullaby.

* * *

_**In this world, we have to take chances. Sometimes they're worth it and sometimes they're not.**_

_**But I'm telling you now, you will never know until you try.**_

**- Unknown**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_I'm sad because this is over, but I'm kind of relieved to finally get this in to you guys. I don't know about the ending, but I liked it, even though it was a little cliché. I don't care. I thought it was cute, and I'm glad this had a happy ending. I hope you guys liked it. There are little details I couldn't fit into this chapter, but whatever. :P Anyways … Just so you guys know and everything, I'll be updating my other stories soon (: Just saying._

_Please review and tell me what you thought anyways (: I'd really love to know! I really like hearing your feedback and getting alerts and everything! I love you guys so much, you have no idea. Thank you for sticking with me through this story, and I hope I get to do more of these – if I have space, that is. _

_Keep amazing, lovely,_

_Nia (: x_


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